Iran is preparing live fire drills in the Strait of Hormuz following tensions ratcheting up between Tehran and the U.S., according to Iranian state media.
In a post Thursday on social platform X, Iranian state television’s English-language arm Press TV said that naval forces with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) “will carry out live-fire exercises next week in the Strait of Hormuz.”
On Wednesday, President Trump warned Iran of a “far worse” attack than the three strikes last summer.
“Hopefully Iran will quickly ‘Come to the Table’ and negotiate a fair and equitable deal – NO NUCLEAR WEAPONS – one that is good for all parties. Time is running out, it is truly of the essence!” Trump said on Truth Social.
“As I told Iran once before, MAKE A DEAL! They didn’t, and there was ‘Operation Midnight Hammer,’ a major destruction of Iran. The next attack will be far worse! Don’t make that happen again. Thank you for your attention to this matter!” he added.
Also on Wednesday, Iran’s mission to the United Nations warned of a response “like never before” after Trump’s Truth Social threat.
“Last time the U.S. blundered into wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, it squandered over $7 trillion and lost more than 7,000 American lives,” the Iranian mission wrote on X.
“Iran stands ready for dialogue based on mutual respect and interests—BUT IF PUSHED, IT WILL DEFEND ITSELF AND RESPOND LIKE NEVER BEFORE!” it added.
An activist group said Tuesday that more than 6,000 people have been killed during Tehran’s crackdown on recent protests in Iran. The protests started in late December because of the falling value of Iran’s currency, inflation and the economy.
Iran’s government responded to the demonstrations with a historically bloody crackdown and a two-week internet blackout.
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