Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps has launched intensive military exercises codenamed 'Smart Control over the Strait of Hormuz'. The military activities in this strategic region coincide with planned talks with Washington in Geneva. The maneuvers aim to test operational readiness against potential security threats in the waters through which nearly one-fifth of the world's oil production flows.
The naval forces of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) have begun large-scale maneuvers in the strategic Strait of Hormuz region. The operation, named 'Smart Control over the Strait of Hormuz', is under the direct supervision of the IRGC command and includes both surface units and air support. According to statements from Iranian state media and the Tasnim agency, the main goal of the exercises is to test combat readiness in the face of 'possible military and security threats'. This waterway is a chokepoint for global energy trade, and Tehran has repeatedly suggested the possibility of blocking it in crisis situations. The Strait of Hormuz, only 33 km wide at its narrowest point, is the world's most important oil transit point. For decades, it has been a flashpoint in relations between Iran and the West, especially after the Islamic Revolution in 1979.Experts point to the significant diplomatic context of these actions. The maneuvers began exactly one day before the planned second round of indirect talks between Iran and the United States in Geneva. The show of force is likely intended to strengthen Tehran's negotiating position. Furthermore, the situation is tense due to the fact that the European Union and the US classify the IRGC as a <footnote title=