TEHRAN, Feb. 17 (Xinhua) -- Iran has temporarily closed the Strait of Hormuz to hold its military exercise, the semi-official Tasnim news agency reported on Tuesday.
Maritime traffic in the Strait of Hormuz has been banned for a few hours to conduct the drill, dubbed the "Smart Control of the Strait of Hormuz," launched by Iran's Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) since Monday, the report said.
The IRGC naval forces utilized a variety of offensive and defensive systems to precisely destroy their targets, according to Tasnim. The IRGC's ultra-fast missile-launching speedboats conducted combat operations, with missiles fired from inland areas, coasts, and islands accurately hitting their targets in the Strait of Hormuz.
The IRGC Navy's drone units also practiced operations using offensive and reconnaissance unmanned aerial vehicles in signal-jamming environments, striking with precision fixed and moving targets.
The IRGC's official news outlet Sepah News said on Monday that the drill is being conducted under the supervision, control, and field monitoring of IRGC commander Mohammad Pakpour.
It said the exercise aimed to assess the readiness of IRGC naval units, practice security plans and military counteractions against potential threats in the Strait of Hormuz, and intelligently leverage Iran's geopolitical advantages.
Iran and the United States concluded the second round of indirect nuclear talks in Geneva on Tuesday. The negotiations were held at Oman's embassy in the Swiss city and mediated by Omani Foreign Minister Sayyid Badr bin Hamad bin Hamood Albusaidi.
U.S. presidential special envoy Steve Witkoff and President Donald Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner represent Washington in the negotiations. Iranian Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi leads a "diplomatic and specialized" delegation to the talks. ■
