Iran's Revolutionary Guards launch military drills in Strait of Hormuz amid US naval deployment

Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) initiated a sequence of military drills in the Strait of Hormuz on Monday, according to state media, just ahead of scheduled negotiations with the United States.

These war games, for which no specific timeframe was provided, are intended to ready the IRGC for “potential security and military threats” within the channel, state television reported, following the arrival of a substantial US naval presence in the region.

Hardline Iranian officials have frequently threatened to block the strait, a vital maritime corridor that accounts for roughly 20% of global oil shipments.

Monitored by IRGC commander General Mohammad Pakpour, the drills are designed to enhance the Guard's rapid-response capabilities, Iranian media reported.

The IRGC serves as the ideological branch of the nation's armed forces.

The military exercises coincide with Tehran and Washington preparing for a fresh session of Oman-mediated talks in Geneva on Tuesday.

The two adversaries, locked in a four-decade conflict, restarted dialogue on 6 February in Oman. These represent the first diplomatic efforts since relations collapsed last June during the Iran-Israel war, a conflict marked by US and Israeli strikes on Iranian nuclear sites.

US President Donald Trump, who is pushing Iran toward a new accord, has stationed a massive naval contingent in the area, which he has characterised as an “armada”.

Following the January deployment of the USS Abraham Lincoln carrier strike group to the Gulf, Trump announced on Friday that a second aircraft carrier, the USS Gerald R. Ford, is set to depart for the Middle East “very soon”.

Iran official meets UN nuclear watchdog in Geneva

On Monday, Iran's chief diplomat consulted with the leader of the UN’s nuclear monitoring body, setting the stage for a second session of discussions with the United States regarding Tehran's nuclear activities.

Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi held technical talks with Rafael Grossi, the Director-General of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). Araghchi also confirmed upcoming meetings with Omani Foreign Minister Badr al-Busaidi.

“I am in Geneva with real ideas to achieve a fair and equitable deal,” Araghchi wrote on X. “What is not on the table: submission before threats.”

On Sunday, Iran's Deputy Foreign Minister Majid Takht-Ravanchi indicated that while Tehran is prepared to discuss compromises on its nuclear file, any progress is contingent on the United States and international partners lifting economic sanctions.

“The ball is in America’s court. They have to prove they want to have a deal with us,” Takht-Ravanchi told the BBC. “If we see sincerity on their part, I am sure that we will be on a road to an agreement."

"We are ready to discuss this and other issues related to our program, provided that they are also ready to talk about the sanctions,” he added.