The Iranian navy announced that it successfully test-fired a cruise missile during its annual naval exercise, dubbed “Vilayat 97.” According to the official IRNA news agency, “on the third day of the exercises, a Ghadir-class Iranian navy submarine successfully launched a cruise missile.” The test-launch was reportedly carried out in the Strait of Hormuz, which is a critical waterway through which a third of the world’s sea-borne oil cargo passes daily.
A U.S. Navy official told TV7 that “the Iranian maritime drill is monitored closely, because of repeated threats by the IRGC (the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps) to block the strategic strait,” in response to the tough international sanctions imposed by the Trump Administration on Iran’s oil exports. The U.S. source, who spoke on condition of anonymity, stressed that while “Iran continues to undermine regional stability, the United States Navy, together with its international partners, will continue to protect the commercial maritime routes and will not hesitate to act in the face of Iranian aggression.”