Iran has held a military maneuver on the Persian Gulf in parallel with the arrival of a US aircraft carrier. The exercises included media reports of Revolutionary Guards ground forces (IRGC) and helicopters and drones.
Revolutionary Guard maneuvers near the Strait of Hormuz are explosive. Iran's President Hassan Rohani has twice threatened to block the oil export routes there should the US block oil exports from the country as part of Iran's sanctions. Almost a third of global oil exports are shipped through the Strait of Hormuz in the Persian Gulf.
"Devastating Answer"
In the maneuver also missiles have been tested. According to the Iranian state broadcaster IRIB, these were tests of short-range missiles, according to the Fars news agency, but medium-range missiles. However, the IRIB report did not show recordings of mid-range missile tests.
The Revolutionary Guards practiced this time on the island of Gheschm at the entrance to the Gulf. These exercises would hopefully show enemies how devastating our response to any action would be, "official Irna newspaper quoted the head of the Revolutionary Guards, General Mohammad Ali Jaffari.
DPA
US destroyer in the Persian Gulf
The island is located just off the mainland of Iran and near the strategic Strait of Hormuz. This strait had to pass the US aircraft carrier "USS John C. Stennis" on his trip into the Persian Gulf.
The US aircraft carrier entered the Gulf on Friday. He was shadowed by speedboats of the Revolutionary Guards. According to a spokeswoman for the US Navy, speedboats fired missiles, but not in the direction of the US ships. This was probably done in the context of the maneuver, said the spokeswoman.
"Economic terrorism"
US President Donald Trump quit the 2015 nuclear deal with Iran in May and imposed new sanctions in early August and early November. The aim of the US president is to reduce Iran's oil exports to zero.
However, the other signatory states Germany, France, Great Britain, Russia and China are trying to save the nuclear agreement and continue trading. The renewed economic sanctions have plunged Iran into a financial crisis. The national currency has lost more than 60 percent in value.
Rohani had repeatedly sharply criticized Trump for his sanctions policy. "The sanctions imposed after leaving the nuclear deal are economic terrorism," Rohani said at a conference against terrorism in Tehran. Trump is "the leader in the world" in violation of international agreements.
At the same time, Rohani warned the Europeans of the consequences of the sanctions. Limiting his country's ability to fight drugs and terrorism threatens western countries with a "flood of drugs, asylum seekers, bombs and terrorism."