Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) began a military exercise in the Strait of Hormuz on Monday, one day before a second round of indirect nuclear negotiations with the United States in Geneva.
The IRGC said the drill, titled “Smart Control of the Strait of Hormuz,” aims to test the operational readiness of its naval forces. The force said it will assess security plans and simulate responses to potential military threats in the region. It also described the exercise as a demonstration of Iran’s geopolitical leverage.
In a statement, the IRGC said its units would practise rapid and decisive responses to maritime security threats as part of the operation.
The Strait of Hormuz remains one of the world’s most critical oil transit chokepoints. The waterway connects the Gulf to the Gulf of Oman and provides the only sea route from the Gulf to international waters.
The exercise comes as tensions escalate between Tehran and Washington. The United States has increased its military presence in the region, including deploying aircraft carriers and bombers to the Persian Gulf.
US President Donald Trump said on Friday that Washington would send a second aircraft carrier to the Middle East. The USS Abraham Lincoln and several destroyers are already operating in the region.
Iranian Armed Forces Chief of Staff Major General Abdolrahim Mousavi warned that any war against Iran would deliver a “lesson” to the US president.
Despite the heightened tensions, Tehran and Washington will hold a new round of nuclear negotiations in Geneva on Tuesday, with Oman acting as mediator. The two sides resumed talks earlier this month after negotiations stalled following Israel’s bombing campaign against Iran last June.
Trump has repeatedly threatened military action against Tehran, citing both Iran’s domestic crackdown on protests and its nuclear activities. Western governments fear Iran seeks to develop nuclear weapons, an allegation Tehran rejects, insisting its programme remains peaceful.