Iran begins large-scale military exercises ahead of second round of talks with US

The naval forces of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps have begun large-scale exercises in the Strait of Hormuz and the Persian Gulf. Iranian state television channels reported this.

The main objectives of the exercises are to “assess the readiness of the IRGC naval units, work out possible scenarios for rapid response to various threats, as well as wisely use Iran’s geopolitical advantage in the Persian and Oman Gulfs.”

Iranian state television reported that during the first day of maneuvers, new unmanned vehicles capable of hitting air and sea targets were tested. At the same time, the technical characteristics of the new device are “kept secret.”

It is also reported that Iran has tested “strategic weapons” on the islands of Abu Musa, Little and Greater Tunb, and the island of Sirri in the Persian Gulf.