On Monday, Iran launched live-fire naval drills in the Strait of Hormuz to prepare for potential security and military threats in the strategically critical waterway, per the country’s state-run news agency.
The exercise, named “Smart Control of the Strait of Hormuz,” was led by the naval units of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) under the oversight of IRGC Commander-in-Chief Maj. Gen. Mohammad Pakpour, according to .
State media reported that the drill was arranged to evaluate the preparedness of operational units, examine security plans, and practice response scenarios for any security and military threats in the area.
The drills took place just hours after renewed diplomatic efforts between the U.S. and Iran kicked off in Geneva, which are focused on reviving negotiations surrounding Iran’s nuclear program.
“I am in Geneva with concrete proposals to reach a fair and equitable deal,” Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi posted on X on Monday. “What is not on the table: yielding in the face of threats,” he stated.
President has ordered a buildup of U.S. military forces across the Middle East, and has threatened to strike Iran if its leadership fails to agree to a deal concerning its nuclear program.
On Friday, Trump also expressed support for regime change in Tehran, noting it would be the “best thing that could happen” for Iran.
, also known as CENTCOM, further highlighted U.S. military presence in the region on Monday.
In a post on X, the command shared images of EA-18G Growlers from Electronic Attack Squadron 133 and F-35C Lightning IIs from Marine Fighter Attack Squadron 314 getting ready to launch from the flight deck of the USS Abraham Lincoln.
“Operating in international waters in the Middle East, the aircraft carrier runs around-the-clock flight missions in support of regional security,” the post read.
The Pentagon has been referred to as an “armada” in the region.
The is accompanied by three warships fitted with Tomahawk missiles, and sits at the core of a broader U.S. naval buildup in the region.
Meanwhile, Tehran announced that the second round of talks will be held on Tuesday “with the .”
Negotiations resumed in Muscat on February 6, after earlier talks collapsed when against Iran in June, which sparked a 12-day conflict and escalated tensions across the entire region.
On Monday, U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee stated there was “significant and legitimate doubt that the Iranians will ever agree to terms that would lead them to abandon any nuclear weaponry ambitions.”