Iran's paramilitary Revolutionary Guard launched a surprise military drill Wednesday on disputed islands in the Persian Gulf, just as the U.S. military increase its presence in the region over recent ship seizures by Tehran.
The drill focused primarily on Abu Musa Island, though the Guard also landed forces on the Greater Tunb Island as well, Iran's state-run IRNA news agency reported. Ships, drones and missile units took part in the drill, the report said.
Iran did not provide a reason for launching the drill, though such snap exercises have happened in the past.
“We always try for security and tranquility; it is our way," the Guard’s chief, Gen. Hossein Salami, said in a televised address during the drill. "Our nation is vigilant, and it gives harsh responses to all threats, complicated seditions and secret scenarios and hostilities,”
However, the drill comes as thousands of Marines and sailors on both the amphibious assault ship USS Bataan and the USS Carter Hall, a landing ship, are on their way to the Persian Gulf. Already, the U.S. has sent A-10 Thunderbolt II warplanes, F-16 and F-35 fighters, as well as the destroyer USS Thomas Hudner, to the region.
The Pentagon has said the deployment is “in response to recent attempts by Iran to threaten the free flow of commerce in the Strait of Hormuz and its surrounding waters." Some 20% of the world’s oil passes through the narrow waterway connecting the Persian Gulf to the wider world and the U.S. views it as crucial to both its national security and keeping global energy prices stable.
Meanwhile, Iran now enriches uranium closer than ever to weapon-grade levels after the collapse of its 2015 nuclear deal with world powers.
The use of Abu Musa and Greater Tunb in the drill also provides another message to the region. Those two islands remain claimed by the United Arab Emirates, home to Abu Dhabi and Dubai. Iran's late shah seized the islands in 1971 just before the UAE became an independent country and Tehran has held the islands since. Lesser Tunb Island was also seized.
Seizing those islands reminds Iran's neighbors of its military might as Tehran's diplomats have been trying to convince Gulf Arab countries allied with the U.S. that “foreigners” aren't needed to secure the region.
Meanwhile, Iran has been trying to signal its displeasure over recent comments about the islands made by Russia, which Tehran has supplied with bomb-carrying drones for their war in Ukraine. Russia earlier this summer in a joint statement with the Gulf Cooperation Council called for “bilateral negotiations or the International Court of Justice" to decide who should control the islands. That prompted an outcry in Iran and Tehran summoned the Russian envoy over the remarks.
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25 Comments
kurisupisu
The US needs to stay out of parts of the world that it has no business to be in
TaiwanIsNotChina
And I assume Russia and Iran will stay out of Syria, right?
Raw Beer
What?!!! Russia and Iran are there at the invitation of Syria's leader. In contrast, US is illegally occupying Syria, stealing its oil....
RichardPearce
Lots of, shall we say interesting, contentions in the article treated as if they were facts.
The simple reality is that Iran's nuclear energy and isotopes program remains FULLY compliant with not only the NNPT but the now in force international law, the Nuclear Weapons Prevention treaty.
Iran has not supplied ANYONE with its MILITARY drones (the ones that it used to precision target the illegal US airbase that launched the terrorist attack on the Iraqi military commander and the Iranian counterterrorism expert on their way to a meeting with the democratically elected President of Iraq).
Iran has been trying to ENSURE the safe use of its waters for International shipping by enforcing the laws that international law requires it to, despite US attempts to turn Iranian waters into a place where piracy and dangerous navigation are protected.
Eastmann
where on that map lies USA???
voiceofokinawa
Another sovereignty issue.
Are these islands, Abu Musa, Greater and lesser Tanbu inhabited? How do the islanders think about themselves' identity and sovereignty right now?
Peter14
kurisupisuToday 04:20 pm JST
EastmannToday 06:29 pm JST
Where on the map does the US maritime fleet sail for trade? Everywhere, so they have a right and business being there to protect their trade routes and civilian ships using international waters. Educated people understand this, less educated people appear not to understand this.
RichardPearce
If the US navy were protecting civilian ships, there wouldn't be an oil tanker, parked in American waters, with a cargo the US declares it seized lawfully, still waiting, after years, to be unloaded, because no private company wants to take on the liability of participating in an act of piracy, something that is considered a universally prosecutable crime.
AlternativeOpinion
US definitely doing something right if it has you lot twisting in your knickers.
Mr Kipling
Both were invited by the legitimate government of Syria, unlike the Islamist terrorists and their funders and suppliers, the US, Turkey and Saudis.
Desert Tortoise
What is funny about that comment is that the oil fields the US protects are operated by the Kurds and the oil is sold to the Syrian government. The revenues go to the Kurdish run Democratic Federation of Northern Syria.
The whole point of having US troops guard those oil fields is to prevent IS from regaining control. IS used to control those oil fields and used the revenue to finance their war and their caliphate. Keeping those oil fields out of IS hand deprives them of a former major revenue source. It also places US forces in a good position to attack residual IS forces, which if you notice happens pretty frequently.
Desert Tortoise
As usual you have it wrong. There is no piracy involved. The US seized the tanker under lawful UN sanctions. The problem is the tanker is too deep for any US Gulf Coast port and has to be unloaded to lighters. All of the companies operating those lighters also have tankers that pass through the Straits of Hormuz an other facilities in the region. Iran has threatened retaliation against any company that unloads that tanker so the US is sending some amphibious assault ships loaded with Marines and an additional destroyer to prevent Iran from doing harm to any US owned assets. Nobody is worried about anyone being prosecuted for piracy because there was no piracy. Get a grip dude.
Mr Kipling
None of the revenue goes to the Syrian government.
Not quite...
The revenue goes to the Kurdish "self ruled government" to fund their fight against the Assad regime. ( Uncle Sam will not be happy if its used against the Turks) Meanwhile the US turns a blind eye to Saudi funding of the IS as long as it isn't used against US supported entities in the region.
The US troops are in the area to prevent the Assad regime from benefiting from oil revenues.
Desert Tortoise
Greater Tunb has a surface of 10.3 km2 (4.0 sq mi). It is known for its red soil. There are conflicting descriptions about its population: While some sources state there are between a few dozen and a few hundred inhabitants others describe the island as having no native civilian population, only an Iranian military garrison. Lesser Tunb is uninhabited but has a small military airfield and garrison. Abu Masa is the largest of the three at some 12 square miles and has a population around 2,100.
The Islands were British protectorates until 1971. The British apparently intended them to become part of the UAE, which was also part of the British protectorate back then, when the Brits granted them independence and withdrew. Iran seized them before the UAE could take control.
TaiwanIsNotChina
I'm sure Qatar and Bahrain are quite happy with the agreements to host US forces in their countries. What's good for the goose is good for the gander.
TaiwanIsNotChina
That's a funny way to say "to a place where UN sanctions can be avoided". Hopefully the UK will clear things up for you soon and snapback the sanctions officially.
TaiwanIsNotChina
Haven't you heard? Saudi is a China ally now.
WA4TKG
Good thing my contract is about up, sounds like it’s time to get outta’ Dodge
Legrande
Here we go the US yet again escalating tension and creating conflict, and if anyone bothers to check IS was created as a result of the US' illegal invasion of Iraq, which led to problems mentioned above regarding Syria.
North Korea, China, Iran, Iraq, Vietnam, Afghanistan, Guatemala, Nicaragua, Somalia, Israel/Palestine, the list goes on...
TaiwanIsNotChina
Some good mental gymnastics that the US is escalating tensions... through making Iran do exercises I guess. Also while it is your goal to assign the responsibility for IS to the US, there is no reason to ignore the history of fundamentalism in the region.
Oh the US escalated tensions basically everywhere, including places that aren't at war right now. Quite a laundry list of grievances you got. I suggest a good shrink.
Desert Tortoise
Where did that story come from? Risible. The Saudis are part of the anti-IS coalition. Their air force attacks IS forces in Syria. IS has carried out attacks in Saudi Arabia. The Saudis consider IS their enemy.
Some wealthy private donors in the Qatar and to a lesser extent other Gulf states contribute some money to IS and the German government is saying the Qatari government provides major financial and arms support to IS (believable, they support the RSF with money and arms and have been laundering Wagner gold for years), however the great majority of their funds are derived from the illegal drug trade, sales of antiquities, a huge sum stolen from the Central Bank of Mosul, taxation and extortion (especially extortion of truck drivers hauling freight and aid shipments) in the few areas IS still has some control over as well as sales from agriculture since the land between the Tigris and Euphrates where IS has their last remaining stronghold is about the only place in Syria that grows wheat.
Desert Tortoise
Saudi Arabia and China have been close for a very long time. The Chinese have a ballistic missile joint venture in Saudi Arabia and have in the past sold the Saudi Army a large number of their ballistic missiles.
Desert Tortoise
If that were true then why would the US let the Kurds sell the oil to the Syrian government? Syria can turn around and sell the oil if they wish. No one is saying they cannot. What is funny is that the Kurds sell Syria the oil and use the revenue earned to fight the Syrian government. The Syrians are financing their own enemy.
kurisupisu
The last time I looked Iran was an oil exporter.
It behoves the Iranians to keep the Hormuz Straits open for ships.
If Iran wished to disrupt shipping then it could easily - it had not
The US is guarding its own interests, not anyone else’s security
Also, why does the US illegally occupy parts of Syria?
At whose invitation?
It is not wanted there
TaiwanIsNotChina
Which it is allowed to do in international waters.