Iran, Oman conduct joint maritime rescue drills in Hormuz Strait
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According to the Iranian Navy, the primary objective of the exercise was to demonstrate the capability of Iran and Oman to safeguard the security of the "world's main energy highway".
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Iran, Oman hold joint drill in Strait of Hormuz (IRNA)
Iranian state-run news agency IRNA reported on Thursday that Iran and Oman conducted a collaborative maritime rescue exercise in the northern Indian Ocean and the Strait of Hormuz, led by their respective naval forces.
The Iranian navy, as reported by IRNA, stated that the primary objective of the exercise was to demonstrate the capability of Iran and Oman to safeguard the security of the "world's main energy highway" in the Strait of Hormuz, the Persian Gulf, and the Oman Sea, without requiring the participation of non-regional forces.
The report indicated that Iran's participation in the drills involved its armed forces' navy and air force, along with the navy of the Islamic Revolution Guard Corps. Oman, on the other hand, was represented by its navy during the joint maritime rescue exercise.
According to IRNA, the drills, geared towards enhancing mutual combat readiness and enforcing bilateral agreements on maritime security, comprised two main components. The first component focused on conducting maneuvers involving aircraft and surface warships, while the second involved the monitoring of maritime traffic—both military and cargo vessels—utilizing Iranian drones and reconnaissance aircraft.
رزمایش مشترک دریایی امداد و نجات با حضور شناورهای رزمی از جمله دنا و سهند و واحدهای پروازی نیروهای دریایی ایران و سلطنت عمان، در شمال اقیانوس هند و تنگۀ هرمز برگزار شد. pic.twitter.com/SpFx9wzoDv
— خبرگزاری فارس (@FarsNews_Agency) November 30, 2023
Keeping the US on its toes
This comes amid heightened tensions in the maritime region due to the presence of US warships in the Hormuz Strait.
The Iranian army unveiled on Tuesday footage depicting the surveillance and monitoring of the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower aircraft carrier and its accompanying vessels using drones as they were transiting through the Strait of Hormuz.
The event happened on November 26, 2023, as indicated in the footage divulged by Tasnim News Agency.
The #Iranian army published footage of its drones surveilling #US vessels entering the #Gulf. https://t.co/vplqhWUyUQ
— Al Mayadeen English (@MayadeenEnglish) November 28, 2023
The aircraft carrier was forced to change its course and land its helicopters after receiving a direct warning from Iranian naval forces, according to the Islamic Revolution Guard Corps's Navy commander General Alireza Tangsiri on Monday.
The US Central Command (CENTCOM) confirmed that it passed through the Strait of Hormuz into the Gulf waters, adding that it would carry out patrols to "ensure freedom of navigation" along key international waterways, as well as support "CENTCOM requirements throughout the region."
Brigadier General Tangsiri revealed that the navy dispatched drones to the American warship when it encountered the military vessels of the IRGC, forcing the US vessel to head toward the south of the Gulf "in compliance with our instructions" after forcing it to land its helicopters.
Read more: Sayyed Khamenei hails Iranian Navy achievements as 'impressive'
