Iranian naval forces during a joint naval exercise between Iran and Russia in 2021 – Photo: AL ARABIYA/REUTERS
News agency Reuters Iran held military exercises in the north of the country on August 13, Mehr News Agency reported.
The exercise took place from 7:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. on August 13 (local time) in Gilan province on the Caspian Sea.
Quoting a local official, Mehr said the drills were designed to enhance the defense capabilities of Iran’s naval forces.
Tensions in the Middle East are currently escalating following the assassination of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh in the heart of Iran’s capital Tehran at the end of July.
Iran, Hamas in Gaza and Hezbollah in Lebanon accused Israel of carrying out the attack and vowed revenge.
Israel has so far neither admitted nor denied responsibility for the incident.
According to CNN, on August 12, the Pentagon said that US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin had ordered the deployment of the guided-missile submarine USS Georgia to the Middle East, in the context of the region facing the risk of widespread conflict.
Mr. Austin also ordered the Abraham Lincoln aircraft carrier strike group to urgently deploy to the area.
On August 13, when asked about the possibility of Iran not retaliating against Israel if a ceasefire agreement is reached in Gaza, US President Joe Biden replied: “That is my expectation.”
Earlier, Reuters quoted three senior Iranian officials as saying that a ceasefire agreement in Gaza from negotiations could take place this week, potentially preventing Iran from directly retaliating against Israel.
On the same day, Axios news site reported that US Secretary of State Blinken postponed his trip to the Middle East (scheduled to depart on August 13) due to “unstable situation”.