Iran’s Revolutionary Guards start army drills in Strait of Hormuz

Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps on Monday (February 16, 2026) started a collection of army workouts within the Strait of Hormuz, state media reported, on the eve of talks with america.

The warfare video games, the period of which was not specified, purpose to arrange the Guards for “potential safety and army threats” within the strait, state TV stated, after america deployed a big naval drive to the world. Iranian hardline politicians have repeatedly threatened to dam the strait, particularly throughout occasions of heightened tensions with america, however it has by no means been closed.

The strategic waterway sees about 20% of the world’s oil manufacturing cross by way of it. The workouts, overseen by Guards chief Normal 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 throughout the Iran-Israel warfare, which noticed Israel and america strike Iranian nuclear services.

U.S. President Donald Trump has been pressuring Iran to succeed in an settlement, particularly with current U.S. naval drive deployments to the area that he has described as an “armada”.

After sending the plane provider USS Abraham Lincoln and escort battleships to the Gulf in January, Mr. Trump stated on Friday (February 13, 20276) {that a} second plane provider, the Gerald R. Ford, would depart “very quickly” for the Center East.

On Monday (February 16), IRGC Navy official Mohammad Akbarzadeh warned that each one international ships within the area had been “below full intelligence surveillance and throughout the attain of our defence energy”.

“The armed forces are totally ready, monitoring the enemy’s actions and by no means ignoring threats,” he was quoted by the state-run IRNA information company as saying.