Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) ground forces conducted military exercises along the country's southern coast on Saturday, Reuters reported, citing local Iranian media, as U.S. President Donald Trump intensifies pressure with threats of military action if nuclear negotiations fail.
Iranian state television broadcast news of the IRGC drills as the United States weighs potential airstrikes against Iran. The Revolutionary Guard maintains its own army, navy, and air force units separate from Iran's regular military and is considered to command the bulk of the country's military capabilities.
The exercises follow a series of IRGC drills in the Strait of Hormuz last week, launched after the U.S. deployed an aircraft carrier to waters near Iran. The strategic waterway serves as a critical chokepoint for global oil shipments.
On May 16, the IRGC closed the Strait of Hormuz for several hours for military exercises. The following day, the guard conducted live-fire missile drills in the same area.
Iran's semi-official Tasnim News Agency reported at the time that multiple missiles were launched from positions across mainland Iran, coastal areas, and islands, striking targets in the Strait of Hormuz.