Iran launches military exercises in Gulf

Iran’s Revolutionary Guards begin naval exercises Wednesday in the Strait of Hormuz, just a few hundred kilometers away from western vessels engaged in the fight against the Islamic State group.

The three branches of the elite army of the Iranian regime are participating in the regular military exercises, dubbed “Great Prophet”, off Qeshm Island.

It is unclear how long the drills will last.

An Iranian navy vessel launches a missile during a drill in the Sea of Oman in January 2012 (photo credit: AP/ISNA, Amir Kholousi)

State television shows an attack by “high-precision missiles” fired from the coast, and a helicopter on a replica of an “American” aircraft carrier.

Fast attack craft are also involved in the military exercises, which aim to “demonstrate the power” of the Navy in protecting Iranian interests in the Gulf, according to state television.

— AFP