Iran Air Force has launched a major exercise after the United States sent warships and additional forces to the Persian Gulf region
More than 90 warplanes and drones have been deployed to the Persian Gulf and other parts of Iran since Sunday as part of the drills, Iranian state media reported.
Army chief Abdolrahim Mousavi said the exercise would “defend the independence, territorial integrity and sacred ideals of the Islamic revolution,” and promised to protect the interests of the Iranian nation.
According to the DPA news agency, among other things, the Air Force tried attacks with kamikaze drones and fighter jets.
The US announced last week that it would send military reinforcements to the Persian Gulf, which it said would ensure freedom of navigation in the region.
The US accuses the Iranian navy of obstructing civilian shipping in the Strait of Hormuz and the neighboring Gulf of Oman.
There have been repeated oil tanker incidents in the area in the past.
In particular, the Strait of Hormuz, a roughly 55-kilometer-wide strait between Iran and Oman, is considered one of the most important shipping routes for global oil exports.
Last month, the United States imposed sanctions on dozens of people and entities in Iran, China and Hong Kong, accusing them of a network that supports Iran’s military and missile programs, as Washington has stepped up pressure on Tehran.
