Tehran: Iran’s Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) has launched the main stage of a “combined, intense and targetted” military exercise in the Strait of Hormuz.
The drill, dubbed the ‘Smart Control of the Strait of Hormuz’ involves the IRGC’s naval forces and is being conducted under the supervision, control and field monitoring of IRGC’s Chief Commander Mohammad Pakpour, read a statement published Monday on the IRGC’s official news outlet Sepah News.
Among the main objectives of the drill are assessing the readiness of the IRGC Navy’s operational units, reviewing and practicing the IRGC’s security plans and scenarios of military counteractions in the face of potential security and military threats in the Strait of Hormuz, and intelligently exploiting Iran’s geopolitical advantages in the Persian Gulf and Sea of Oman, the statement said, Xinhua news agency reported.
“The intelligence and operational exercises of the units involved in the drill center on the rapid, decisive, and comprehensive response of the IRGC’s operational forces to anti-security plots in the maritime arena,” it added.
The development comes amid simmering tensions between Iran and the United States, as well as a US military buildup in the West Asia region, despite that delegations from Tehran and Washington are scheduled to hold a second round of indirect nuclear talks in Geneva on Tuesday.
On Monday, Iran’s Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi met Rafael Grossi, Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), for technical discussions on Tehran’s nuclear issue.
The meeting was held at Araghchi’s place of stay in Geneva, Switzerland, ahead of indirect nuclear negotiations between Iran and the United States that are scheduled for Tuesday in the Swiss city, according to a statement released by the Iranian Foreign Ministry.
During the meeting, the two sides exchanged views on certain technical issues pertaining to cooperation between Iran and the IAEA within the framework of Tehran’s safeguards obligations and in view of a law passed by the Iranian parliament in June last year to suspend bilateral collaborations, the statement said, adding that the Iranian side presented its technical viewpoints in relation to the indirect nuclear talks with the United States.
Following the meeting, Grossi said in a post on social media platform X that the two sides held “in-depth technical discussions” in preparation for Tuesday’s “important” negotiations.
Earlier in the day, Araghchi wrote on X that during his visit to Geneva, he is accompanied by Iranian nuclear experts, along with whom he would meet Grossi for “deep technical discussion.” He added that he will also meet Omani Foreign Minister Sayyid Badr bin Hamad Al Busaidi ahead of Tuesday’s indirect talks.
“I am in Geneva with real ideas to achieve a fair and equitable deal. What is not on the table: submission before threats,” said Araghchi.
Iranian and US delegations, led by Araghchi and US President Donald Trump’s special envoy Steve Witkoff separately, held a first round of talks in Oman’s Muscat on February 6. Witkoff will again lead the US delegation in Geneva, according to US media reports.
(IANS)
