IRGC Stages Naval Drill in Persian Gulf
TEHRAN (Tasnim) – The Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) Navy started military drills in the Persian Gulf, south of Iran, with speedboats laying naval mines in Strait of Hormuz at the first stage on Wednesday morning.
The naval exercises, codenamed The Great Prophet-9, are underway in the Strait of Hormuz, known as the most strategic waterway in the Persian Gulf.
High-ranking military officials are in the area during the first stage of the drills, including IRGC Commander Major General Mohammad Ali Jafari, Deputy Chief of Staff of the Iranian Armed Forces Major General Gholam Ali Rashid and IRGC Navy Commander Rear Admiral Ali Fadavi. Iran’s Parliament Speaker Ali Larijani has also travelled there.
Hundreds of speedboats, armed with missiles, have been deployed to take action in the drills.
During the first stage of the war game on Wednesday morning, the IRGC speedboats carried out mine-laying operation in the Strait of Hormuz area.
The Strait of Hormuz, a narrow waterway between Iran and Oman, connects the Persian Gulf with the Sea of Oman.
It is the only sea passage from the Persian Gulf to the high seas and is one of the world's most strategically-important choke points.