Iran conducts missile simulation in the Gulf of Oman

Iran's navy began a short-range missile drill in the Gulf of Oman on Wednesday involving the country's largest aircraft carrier, state television reported. Meanwhile, the Islamic Republic is amid growing regional tensions over Tehran's nuclear programme and a US pressure campaign against the ayatollahs' regime. 

Missile manoeuvres will be conducted over two days in the waters of the south-eastern Gulf and two new Iranian-made warships have been added. These are the Zereh, a missile launcher, or "armor", and the Makran, a logistics vessel with a helicopter pad named after the coastal region of southern Iran.  

In 2018 former US President Donald Trump unilaterally withdrew the United States from the Joint Comprehensive Action Plan (JCPOA), Iran's nuclear agreement. In this deal Tehran had agreed to limit its uranium enrichment in exchange for the lifting of economic sanctions. Trump, upon his withdrawal, cited Iran's ballistic missile programme among other problems to justify its withdrawal. 

Iran gradually and publicly abandoned the limits of its nuclear development agreement after the US intensified sanctions. In early 2020 a series of escalating incidents brought Iran and the United States to the brink of war.

In recent weeks Iran has threatened to enrich uranium to 90 per cent purity, which is sufficient to make nuclear weapons. 70% more than it had previously mentioned, this being much greater than the 3.67% it had pledged to maintain with JCOPA.

It has also increased its military exercises during this period. The Iranian Revolutionary Guard held a naval parade in the Arabian Gulf on Saturday, and a week before that Teheran carried out a massive drone manoeuvre in the middle of the country. 

Moreover, the Ayatollahs' regime seized a South Korean oil tanker and its crew in the Gulf last week and is still holding the ship in an Iranian port. The Islamic Republic has apparently sought to increase its influence on Seoul prior to negotiations on billions of dollars in Iranian assets frozen in South Korean banks linked to US sanctions against Iran. 

Last Tuesday, Mike Pompeo, the US secretary of state, accused Iran of having secret links with the militant network al-Qaeda. He then imposed new sanctions on several high-ranking Iranian officials; however, Tehran has denied this accusation.