Iran begins military exercises in the Persian Gulf

Enlarge image

Military exercise in Iran: preparation for possible attacks?

Photo: - / AFP

Iran has started its armed forces' annual military exercises in the Persian Gulf.

Units of the navy and air force as well as ground troops are taking part in the maneuver east of the Strait of Hormuz.

This was reported by the state news agency "Fars", citing a spokesman for the Navy.

The leadership in Tehran said it posed no threat to the other countries in the region.

The maneuvers only served to prepare for possible attacks.

The West and the Arab Gulf States see it differently.

For them, the maneuvers and the entire Iranian military and missile program are a threat to the Gulf region, where around 40 percent of the world's crude oil shipments are handled.

There are also concerns that Iran could hit Israel with its medium-range missiles, which have a range of up to 2,200 kilometers.

Atomic talks in Vienna

The exercise takes place amid heightened tensions between Iran and the US. Former US President Donald Trump unilaterally terminated the 2015 nuclear deal four years ago, and his successor Joe Biden is relying on more diplomacy on this issue. In less than a month there should be further talks between the European Union, the USA and Iran in Vienna. The country now states that its stock of 20 percent enriched uranium has grown to over 210 kilograms.

US officials said last week that Iran had seized a Vietnamese flag oil tanker in the Gulf of Oman and was still holding the ship in port.

Iran, however, claimed that its elite commandos had instead thwarted a US seizure of a tanker and freed the ship in question.

Dramatic recordings were broadcast on state television without any further explanation of the incident.

rai / AP / dpa