Iran begins naval exercises in The Gulf

Naval forces from the Iranian Revolutionary Guard began a naval manoeuvre around strategically important islands in the The Gulf on Wednesday, Iran's Tasnim news agency reported.

Ships, drones and aircraft departed for the exercise early in the morning, it said. Units of the Basij militia were deployed to Abu Musa island as part of the exercise.

Abu Musa and two other small islands in The Gulf are considered strategically important. Oil tankers pass through the waters between the island and the Iranian mainland on the trade route. The three islands are under Iranian administration, but are also claimed as territory by the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

About a week ago, Iran's air force launched a large-scale exercise following the deployment of U.S. warships and forces to The Gulf. The United States says it wants to secure freedom of navigation in the region and accuses the Iranian navy of obstructing civilian shipping in the Strait of Hormuz and the adjacent Gulf of Oman.

There have been repeated incidents in the past involving oil tankers detained by Iran.

The Strait of Hormuz, an approximately 55-kilometre-wide strait between Iran and Oman, is considered one of the most important shipping routes for global oil exports.