WASHINGTON: The United States believes Iran has started carrying out navalexercises in the Gulf, apparently moving up the timing of annual drillsamid heightened tensions with Washington, US officials told Reuters onThursday.
One US official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said possibly morethan 100 vessels were involved in the drills, including small boats. Asecond official expected the drill could be wrapped up this week.
Iran has been furious over US President Donald Trump’s decision to pull outof an international nuclear deal and reimpose sanctions on Tehran. SeniorIranian officials have warned the country would not easily yield to arenewed US campaign to strangle Iran’s vital oil exports.
The U.S. military’s Central Command on Wednesday confirmed it has seen anincrease in Iranian naval activity, including in the Strait of Hormuz, astrategic waterway for oil shipments that Iran’s Revolutionary Guards havethreatened to block.
“We are monitoring it closely, and will continue to work with our partnersto ensure freedom of navigation and free flow of commerce in internationalwaterways,” said Navy Captain Bill Urban, the chief spokesman at CentralCommand, which oversees US forces in the Middle East.
Central Command did not update its guidance on Thursday.
A third official said the Iranian naval operations did not appear to beaffecting commercial maritime activity.
US officials, speaking to Reuters on condition of anonymity, said thedrills appeared designed to send a message to Washington, which isintensifying its economic and diplomatic pressure on Tehran but so farstopping short of using the US military to more aggressively counter Iranand its proxies.
But Iran did not appear interested in drawing attention to them. Iranianauthorities have yet to comment on them and several officials contacted byReuters declined to comment.
Trump’s policies are already putting significant pressure on the Iranianeconomy, although U.S. intelligence suggests they may ultimately rallyIranians against the United States and strengthen Iran’s hardline rulers,officials say.
Iran’s currency plumbed new depths this week ahead of August 7, whenWashington is due to reimpose a first lot of sanctions following Trump’swithdrawal from the 2015 nuclear deal.
Protests have broken out in Iran since the beginning of the year over highprices, water shortage, power cuts and alleged corruption.
On Tuesday, hundreds of people rallied in cities including Isfahan, Karaj,Shiraz and Ahvaz to protest high inflation caused in part by the weak rial.