Iran marked Army Day on Saturday with a low-key military parade and a speech by hardline President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad that contrasted with his confrontational addresses of previous years.

Ahmadinejad hailed the Islamic republic's armed forces as the "guarantor" of regional security but refrained from the frequent tub-thumping boasts about the nation's military might in the face of enemy threats.

His more moderate comments came as the administration of US President Barack Obama calls for dialogue with Tehran over its controversial nuclear drive, which Western powers fear could be a cover for efforts to build an atomic bomb.

"Iran's armed forces are the guarantor of security in the region," Ahmadinejad said in an unusually short televised speech during the parade.

"Today the Iranian nation, with its religious armed forces, is ready to have a wide role in world management and to establish security based on justice across the world."

Local media had said that 140 fighter jets and other aircraft would stage a display during the parade but the air show was cancelled due to what the media said was "bad weather and poor visibility." However, Tehran was basking in warm and sunny weather.