In this picture released by the Iranian Army on Nov 7, 2021, troops attend a maneuver in a coastal area in southeastern Iran. Iran's military began its annual war games in the coastal area of the Gulf of Oman, less than a month before upcoming nuclear talks with the West. (IRANIAN ARMY VIA AP)
DUBAI – Iran's military warned off US drones trying to approach Iranian war games near the mouth of the Gulf, state broadcaster IRIB said on Tuesday.
The annual exercises concluded on Tuesday, a few weeks before resumption of talks between Tehran and world powers to revive a 2015 nuclear deal.
The exercises stretched from the east of the Strait of Hormuz to the north of the Indian Ocean and parts of the Red Sea. About a fifth of oil that is consumed globally passes through the strategic Strait of Hormuz waterway in the Gulf
"These aircraft (RQ-4 and MQ-9 US drones) changed their route after approaching the borders of the Islamic Republic of Iran following the air defense’s interception and decisive warning," IRIB reported.
The exercises stretched from the east of the Strait of Hormuz to the north of the Indian Ocean and parts of the Red Sea. About a fifth of oil that is consumed globally passes through the strategic Strait of Hormuz waterway in the Gulf.
Periodic confrontations have taken place between Iran’s military and US forces in the Gulf since 2018, when former US President Donald Trump exited the nuclear pact and reimposed harsh sanctions against Tehran.
READ MORE: Iran wants US assurances it will never quit nuke deal if revived
Iran has reacted by breaching the deal's limits on its nuclear program.
Indirect talks between Iran and US President Joe Biden's administration to revive the pact, which were put on hold since the election of Iran's hardline President Ebrahim Raisi in June, are set to resume in Vienna on Nov 29.