An aerial view of the Iranian shores and the Port of Bandar Abbas within the strait of Hormuz. File
| Photograph Credit score: Reuters
Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps on Monday (February 16, 2026) started a collection of army workout routines within the Strait of Hormuz, state media reported, on the eve of talks with the US.
The conflict video games, the length of which was not specified, purpose to arrange the Guards for “potential safety and army threats” within the strait, state TV mentioned, after the US deployed a big naval power to the realm. Iranian hardline politicians have repeatedly threatened to dam the strait, particularly throughout instances of heightened tensions with the US, nevertheless it has by no means been closed.
The strategic waterway sees about 20% of the world’s oil manufacturing go by means of it. The workout routines, overseen by Guards chief Basic Mohammad Pakpour, purpose to bolster the IRGC’s potential to react rapidly, Iranian media reported. The Guards are the ideological arm of Iran’s army.
The drills happen as Tehran and Washington put together for a brand new spherical of talks in Geneva on Tuesday (February 16, 2026), mediated by Oman. It additionally comes at a time of heavy U.S. army deployment within the Gulf.
The decades-long enemies resumed nuclear negotiations on February 6 in Oman, their first since diplomacy broke down final June through the Iran-Israel conflict, which noticed Israel and the US strike Iranian nuclear services.
U.S. President Donald Trump has been pressuring Iran to achieve an settlement, particularly with current U.S. naval power deployments to the area that he has described as an “armada”.
After sending the plane service USS Abraham Lincoln and escort battleships to the Gulf in January, Mr. Trump mentioned on Friday (February 13, 20276) {that a} second plane service, the Gerald R. Ford, would depart “very quickly” for the Center East.
On Monday (February 16), IRGC Navy official Mohammad Akbarzadeh warned that every one international ships within the area had been “underneath full intelligence surveillance and throughout the attain of our defence energy”.
“The armed forces are absolutely ready, monitoring the enemy’s actions and by no means ignoring threats,” he was quoted by the state-run IRNA information company as saying.
Printed – February 16, 2026 10:38 pm IST
