Iran has conducted a military drill in the Strait of Hormuz, firing missiles at a replica of a US aircraft carrier. The exercise, named Prophet Mohammed 14th, was broadcast on state television and involved heavy fire that temporarily prompted the US military to put two regional bases on alert.
The mock-up, resembling a US carrier routinely deployed in the Gulf, featured dummy fighter jets on its flight deck. Missiles were launched from various angles, including from a helicopter, striking the side of the fake warship. Iran's Revolutionary Guards commander Major General Hossein Salami described the display as 'all offensive'.
The US Navy condemned the action as 'irresponsible and reckless behaviour by Iran', accusing Tehran of attempting 'to intimidate and coerce'. Commander Rebecca Rebarich, spokeswoman for the US Navy's Fifth Fleet in Bahrain, contrasted the US's defensive exercises with Iran's offensive drills.
The drill coincides with heightened tensions between Tehran and Washington in Gulf waters, and follows Iran's rejection of a peace plan proposed by the international community.
