Iran’s Revolutionary Guards navy held military exercises in the Strait of Hormuz on Monday (16 February), state-linked media reported. The drill took place a day before renewed nuclear negotiations between Tehran and Washington in Geneva.
The drill, named “Smart Control of Hormuz Strait”, was conducted in the strategic waterway through which roughly 20% of global oil shipments pass, according to the semi-official Tasnim news agency.
The exercise was organised to assess the preparedness of operational forces in the face of “possible security and military threats”, the report said.
The Strait of Hormuz, a narrow passage between Iran and Oman, is one of the world’s most critical energy chokepoints, linking Gulf oil producers to international markets. Any disruption to shipping there can have immediate effects on global energy prices and supply chains.
The manoeuvres took place as Iranian and U.S. officials prepared to resume talks over Tehran’s nuclear programme. While Iranian authorities did not directly link the drill to the negotiations, the timing underscores ongoing regional tensions and Tehran’s emphasis on safeguarding its maritime interests.
Iran has previously staged similar exercises in and around the Strait during periods of heightened friction with Western powers.
The Revolutionary Guards navy, which operates alongside Iran’s regular navy, plays a central role in patrols and security operations in the Gulf waters.
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Iran confirmed on Friday its Armed Forces responded to, what Tehran is calling, the U.S. Navy’s violation of the ceasefire. It said Iranian ships and civilian areas were attacked near the Strait of Hormuz on Thursday evening.
The Middle East crisis is set to dominate the ASEAN summit on 8 May, shifting focus away from regional diplomacy.
Iran’s leadership has presented a united front, rejecting claims of internal divisions amid continued tensions with the U.S. and Israel following a fragile ceasefire and stalled Iran–U.S. talks.
Some 20,000 seafarers remain stranded on around 2,000 ships in the Strait of Hormuz amid the ongoing Middle East conflict, in what has been described as an unprecedented situation in the post-Second World War era. The vessels include oil and gas tankers, cargo ships and six cruise liners.
The U.S. says it has launched strikes on Iran after alleged attacks on three commercial vessels in the Strait of Hormuz. Washington described the action as a response to threats against civilian shipping and a breach of the ceasefire.
U.S. President Donald Trump said on Wednesday that the memorandum of understanding signed with Iran to end the conflict was "over", adding he did not want to engage with Tehran, calling the Iranian leadership "sick people".
NATO leaders are unveiling multi-billion-dollar arms deals in Ankara as President Donald Trump joins the summit, highlighting Europe's increased defence spending amid tensions over Russia and Iran, and following years of U.S. criticism of the alliance.
Mark Rutte, Secretary General of NATO, has described fresh U.S. strikes on Iran as "absolutely necessary," in remarks at the start of the second day of the alliance's sumit in the Turkish capital Ankara.
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