The US Central Command is worried about Iranian naval drills, despite staging its own war “readiness exercises”
The US military has issued a formal warning to Iran over its planned live-fire naval exercises in the Strait of Hormuz, while simultaneously conducting major “readiness exercises” of its own across the Middle East.
In a statement released on Friday, US Central Command (CENTCOM) urged Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) Navy to conduct its two-day drill beginning Sunday “in a manner that is safe, professional and avoids unnecessary risk.”
“We will not tolerate unsafe IRGC actions including overflight of US military vessels engaged in flight operations, low-altitude or armed overflight of US military assets when intentions are unclear, highspeed boat approaches on a collision course with US military vessels, or weapons trained at US forces,” the command stated.
The warning comes as the US itself is executing large-scale, multi-day military drills across the region. US Air Forces Central (AFCENT) announced the “readiness exercise” this week, designed to practice the rapid deployment and sustainment of combat aircraft to various “contingency locations.”
These air drills complement the naval buildup President Donald Trump has publicly championed. “There’s another beautiful armada floating beautifully towards Iran right now,” Trump said earlier this week, referencing a carrier strike group led by the USS Abraham Lincoln.
“We have a lot of very big, very powerful ships sailing to Iran right now, and it would be great if we didn’t have to use them,” Trump told reporters on Thursday, adding he prefers to resolve the tensions diplomatically. He reiterated two core demands: “Number one, no nuclear. And number two, stop killing protesters.”
Tehran’s state media announced the exercises following Trump’s social media post warning that a potential “next attack will be far worse” than previous US strikes, and urging Iran to “MAKE A DEAL.”
Iran has responded to the threats with defiance. Its UN mission posted a warning on social media that while it stands “ready for dialogue,” if pushed, it will “defend itself and respond like never before.” A deputy foreign minister separately claimed the country is “200 percent ready” and would deliver an “appropriate response, not a proportionate one,” potentially targeting US bases.
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The Strait of Hormuz, where Iran plans to exercise, is a critical chokepoint for global oil shipments, with roughly 100 merchant vessels transiting daily. CENTCOM’s statement has acknowledged Iran’s right to “operate professionally” in international airspace and waters.
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