Iran's Revolutionary Guard began naval maneuvers on Saturday in the latest show of force near the strategic Strait of Hormuz, the critical Gulf oil tanker route that Tehran has threatened to close in case of introduction of tougher sanctions by the West, western media reports.
Plans for new Iranian maneuvers in the Gulf have been in the works for weeks. But they got under way following stern warnings by Iran's Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, about any possible U.S. or Israeli attacks against Tehran's nuclear facilities.
The present trainings are being conducted in the naval presence of the American aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln.
Iran has so far made no attempts to disrupt shipping through the strait, the route for one-fifth of the world's crude oil. The US has repeatedly stated it would respond swiftly to any attempts at a blockade.
