Iran holds naval war games amid rising tensions with US

Drills take place weeks after Trump fired warning shot

Iran launched naval drills at the mouth of the Arabian Gulf yesterday amid heightened tensions with the United States after its president put Tehran “on notice”.

Since taking office last month, Donald Trump has pledged to get tough with Iran, warning the Islamic republic after its ballistic missile test on January 29 that it was playing with fire and all US options were on the table.

Iran’s annual exercises will be held in the Strait of Hormuz, the Gulf of Oman, the Bab Al Mandeb and in northern parts of the Indian Ocean, to train in the fight against terrorism and piracy, Rear Admiral Habibollah Sayyari said.

Millions of barrels of oil are transported daily to Europe, the US and Asia through the Bab Al Mandeb and the Strait of Hormuz, waterways that run along the coasts of Yemen and Iran.

Navy ships, submarines and helicopters will take part in the drills across an area of about two million square kilometres, and marines will display their skills along Iran’s south- east coast, the state news agency Irna said.

The US navy’s fifth fleet is based in the region and protects shipping lanes in the Gulf and nearby waters. Last month, a US navy destroyer fired warning shots at four Iranian fast-attack vessels near the Strait of Hormuz after they closed in at high speed. The vessels belonged to Iran’s Revolutionary Guards, which are not taking part in the current war games.

Mr Trump said “Iran has been formally put on notice” for the missile test and imposed new sanctions on Tehran.