In a surreal military drill conducted by Iran in the Strait of Hormuz, the Iranian navy fired missiles at a dummy model of a US aircraft carrier. This has made the US military temporarily put two regional bases on alert as reported by the BBC.
The US has called this exercise “irresponsible and reckless behaviour by Iran”, labelling it an attempt “to intimidate and coerce”.
Iran named the drills as Prophet Mohammed 14th that has very important meaning to Shia Muslims and this exercise was broadcast on state television.
For the exercise, Iran used a dummy which resembles a carrier the US routinely sails into the Gulf. The fake aircraft carrier also had dummy fighter jets onboard and then it was targeted by missiles launched from a variety of angles, including some aimed at the carrier.
“What was shown today in these exercises, at the level of aerospace and naval forces, was all offensive,” Iran’s Revolutionary Guards commander Major General Hossein Salami told the state television.
When Iran fired one of their ballistic missiles, it was detected by the Americans who immediately put their troops on high alert in the UAE and Qatar, the US military said.
“The US Navy conducts defensive exercises with our partners promoting maritime security in support of freedom of navigation; whereas, Iran conducts offensive exercises, attempting to intimidate and coerce,” said Commander Rebecca Rebarich, spokeswoman for the US Navy’s Bahrain-based Fifth Fleet.
The relationship between Iran and the US took a nosedive ever since Donald Trump became the US President. He cancelled the Iranian Nuclear deal that was finalized during the Obama period and has been levying sanctions on the country allegedly for its nuclear activities.
At this time, any escalation of conflict between Tehran and Washington in the Gulf waters is best avoided as the Strait of Hormuz serves as one of the arteries for world’s oil to flow.