Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps started naval drills around Persian Gulf islands whose sovereignty is disputed by the United Arab Emirates.
The exercise includes troops, vessels, missiles and drones and aims to showcase the IRGC’s readiness to defend the islands, focused on Abu Musa, Iran’s state-run Islamic Republic News Agency reported on Wednesday.
The three small islands include Abu Musa and are near the Strait of Hormuz, a strategic waterway through which many of the oil exports from countries such as Saudi Arabia and Iraq are shipped. It has been held by Iran since British forces withdrew in 1971 but is claimed by the UAE.
Russia enraged Iran last month by making a joint statement with the Gulf Cooperation Council in support of a UAE initiative calling for negotiations over the islands. That sparked a rare spat between Tehran and Moscow, allies who have deepened economic and defense ties over the past year.
