Pressmediaofindia
Related Articles
19-02-2026
TEHRAN: Iran’s military exercise in the Strait of Hormuz on Monday was an attempt by Tehran to push back against the US, a person familiar with the matter told The Jerusalem Post.
The exercise was reported by Iran’s semi-official Tasnim News Agency, which is affiliated with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).
It focused on the regime’s naval forces and was reportedly carried out under the supervision of the IRGC Commander Maj.-Gen. Mohammad Pakpour.
The exercise was aimed at assessing the readiness of Iran’s naval operations units and to review security plans and scenarios for “reciprocal” military action by the IRGC, Tasnim reported.
The Strait of Hormuz is a channel between the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman. It is the only sea passage from the Persian Gulf to the open ocean, making it a strategically important choke point. Iranian hardliners have pushed for the Strait of Hormuz to be blocked in response to growing tensions with Washington.
The force was anticipated to offer a “decisive” response to any “anti-security plots in the maritime domain,” a source affiliated with the IRGC told Tasnim.
The exercise was carried out as Tehran is anticipating potential military action from the US.
Iran has begun efforts to fortify its nuclear facilities, especially those that were damaged during the US airstrikes last June.
Tehran ‘playing poker’ as another confrontation with US seems more likely
Last week, V.-Adm. (ret.) Robert Harward, the former deputy commander of US Central Command, told the Post Iran has been increasing its inflammatory rhetoric. Tehran was “playing poker” as another confrontation with the US seems more likely, he said. Dr. Lynette Nusbacher, an intelligence expert and military historian, told the Post the latest exercise was likely just another signal to the US.
“This exercise is a signal to the US, and to commodities markets, that Iran is ready to close the Strait,” she said. “It’s an attempt to push back at the US, which has a couple of destroyers keeping the Strait open.
“Why do they need to keep the Strait open? Why would the Iranians close the Strait of Hormuz? Because the US is using the USS Abraham Lincoln Carrier Strike Group and soon the USS Gerald Ford Strike Group to put pressure on Iran.”
“One of the most powerful weapons that Iran has is using fast attack boats and land-based missiles to close the Straits of Hormuz… In the past, just sneezing in the direction of Hormuz caused the spot price of oil to spike upwards,” Nusbacher said.
The most prudent next US military operation would be to “send the IRGC navy to the bottom,” she said.
Meanwhile, Iran and the US resumed nuclear negotiations earlier this month amid heightened military tensions, with Washington deploying warships, including a second aircraft carrier, to the region, as mediators work to prevent a war.
Araghchi met with the head of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), Rafael Grossi, on Monday, saying his team of nuclear experts expected a “deep technical discussion”.
The IAEA, the United Nations nuclear watchdog, has been calling for access to Iran’s main nuclear facilities, which were bombed by the US and Israel during the 12-day war in June. Tehran has said there might be a risk of radiation, so an official protocol is required to carry out the unprecedented task of inspecting highly enriched uranium ostensibly buried under the rubble.
Speaking on Monday, Iranian Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei said that Washington’s position on Iran’s nuclear program “has moved towards a more realistic one”. (Int’l News Desk)
