Iran conducted live-fire naval drills in the Strait of Hormuz on Monday as diplomatic talks with the United States resumed in Geneva, amid a growing U.S. military buildup in the Middle East.
According to Iran’s state-run IRNA news agency, the exercise — titled “Smart Control of the Strait of Hormuz” — was carried out by the naval forces of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) under the supervision of IRGC Commander-in-Chief Mohammad Pakpour, a major general. Iran International also reported on the drills.
State media said the exercise was designed to assess the readiness of operational units, review existing security plans, and rehearse responses to potential security and military threats in the region.
The drills took place just hours before renewed diplomatic efforts began in Geneva, where U.S. and Iranian officials resumed discussions aimed at reviving negotiations over Iran’s nuclear program.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said on Monday that he had arrived in Geneva with proposals for a negotiated outcome.
“I am in Geneva with real ideas to achieve a fair and equitable deal,” Araghchi wrote on X.
“What is not on the table: submission before threats.”
U.S. President Donald Trump has ordered a significant buildup of American military forces in the Middle East and has repeatedly warned that the United States could strike Iran if its leadership fails to agree to limits on its nuclear program.
On Friday, Trump publicly endorsed the idea of regime change in Tehran, saying it would be the “best thing that could happen” for Iran.
Meanwhile, U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) showcased American military assets operating in the region. In a post on X, CENTCOM shared images of EA-18G Growler aircraft from Electronic Attack Squadron 133 and F-35C Lightning II jets from Marine Fighter Attack Squadron 314 preparing for launch from the flight deck of the USS Abraham Lincoln.
“Operating in international waters in the Middle East, the aircraft carrier conducts around-the-clock flight operations in support of regional security,” the post said.
The Pentagon has described the buildup as an “armada,” with the USS Abraham Lincoln flanked by three warships equipped with Tomahawk cruise missiles, forming the core of a broader U.S. naval presence in the region.
Iranian officials said a second round of talks would be held on Tuesday with mediation provided by Oman.
Negotiations had previously restarted in Muscat on February 6, after earlier talks collapsed following an unprecedented Israeli bombing campaign against Iran in June. That offensive sparked a 12-day war and sharply escalated tensions across the Middle East.
On Monday, U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee said there was “significant and legitimate doubt” that Iran would ever agree to abandon its nuclear ambitions.
Trump later told reporters that he would be indirectly involved in the negotiations.
“I’ll be involved in those talks indirectly, and they’ll be very important, and we’ll see what can happen,” he said.
“I would say they’re bad negotiators because we could have had a deal instead of sending the B2s to knock out their nuclear potential. I hope they’re going to be more reasonable. They want to make a deal.”
The IRGC drills in the Strait of Hormuz — one of the world’s most critical maritime chokepoints for global energy supplies — come as both military and diplomatic pressure continues to mount around Iran’s nuclear program and the broader regional security landscape.
