Shafaq News – Tehran

Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) conducted wide-ranging naval drills in the Gulf on Thursday, delivering what Iranian media described as direct warnings to nearby US vessels while framing the exercise as a signal of stability to neighboring states.

During the drills, the IRGC deployed air-defense systems operating in electronic-warfare settings and supported by artificial-intelligence tracking tools. Missile platforms, surveillance drones, and rapid-target identification technologies were also featured.

The maneuvers, named after late commander Mohammad Nazeri, were held under what local outlets called full intelligence oversight to demonstrate the force’s readiness to secure Iran’s territorial waters.

Tasnim News Agency said the exercise underscored Iran’s defense posture while pairing a message of “peace” to regional countries with a caution against any potential hostile move.

Iran has intensified its military exercises over the past year amid heightened regional tensions. In December, Tehran ordered snap military drills as nuclear negotiations stalled, stressing there would be “no compromise” on uranium enrichment levels. Earlier, Iran held a nine-day series of exercises along the Iraqi border, involving ground forces and missile units, in a show of readiness during a period of strained ties with Western governments.