Information
Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) launched a naval exercise on Monday in the strategic Strait of Hormuz, according to state media. The drills, titled “Smart Control of Hormuz Strait,” are being carried out by the IRGC’s naval forces under the supervision of its top commander. Iranian outlets said the exercise is intended to test operational readiness against potential security and military threats. The maneuver takes place amid heightened tensions with the United States over Iran’s nuclear program and Tehran’s violent response to recent anti-regime protests.
The timing is significant as nuclear negotiations between Washington and Tehran have resumed following their collapse after Israeli strikes on Iran in June 2025, which triggered a 12-day conflict and included US attacks on Iranian nuclear facilities. A new round of talks is scheduled in Geneva, mediated by Oman, even as US President Donald Trump has announced plans to deploy a second aircraft carrier to the region and continues to warn of possible strikes on Iran. The Strait of Hormuz, located between Iran and Oman, is considered the world’s most critical oil transit chokepoint, with large volumes of crude from major OPEC producers such as Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, and Iraq passing through it to global markets.
Source: AFP, Reuters
So What
The drills are highly likely intended to signal to the United States that Iran retains the capability to close the Strait of Hormuz, a move long viewed in Tehran as its ultimate strategic leverage. While disrupting the waterway would be one of Iran’s most consequential options, sustaining a prolonged closure would be extremely challenging given the substantial US naval assets already deployed in the region. At most, Iran could likely cause short-term disruption rather than a weeks-long blockade.
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