Iran holds missile drill in Gulf of Oman amid tensions

Iran’s navy began a short-range missile drill in Gulf of Oman on Wednesday, state TV reported, amid heightened regional tensions over Tehran’s nuclear program and a U.S. pressure campaign against Islamic Republic. two-day missile drill was being held in gulf's souastern waters and two new Iranian-made warships joined exercise: missile-launching Zereh, or “armor," and Makran, a logistics vessel with a helicopter pad named for a coastal region in sourn Iran.

President Donald Trump in 2018 unilaterally withdrew U.S. from Iran’s nuclear deal, in which Tehran had agreed to limit its uranium enrichment in exchange for lifting of ecomic sanctions. Trump cited Iran’s ballistic missile program among or issues in withdrawing from accord.

When U.S. n ramped up sanctions, Iran gradually and publicly abandoned deal’s limits on its nuclear development as a series of escalating incidents pushed two countries to brink of war at beginning of year. In recent weeks, Iran has increased its military drills. On Saturday, paramilitary Revolutionary Guard held a naval parade in Persian Gulf and a week earlier Iran held a massive drone maneuver across half country.

Also last week, Iran seized a South Korean oil tanker and its crew members in Gulf, and continues to hold vessel at an Iranian port. Islamic Republic has apparently sought to increase its lever over Seoul ahead of negotiations over billions of dollars in Iranian assets frozen in South Korean banks tied to U.S. sanctions on Iran. On Tuesday, U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo accused Iran of having secret ties with militant al-Qaida network and imposed new sanctions on several senior Iranian officials. Iran has denied accusation.