Iran launches war drills in Hormuz Strait as US carrier is flying missions 24/7 before Geneva talks

Iran launched live-fire naval exercises in the Strait of Hormuz on Monday in preparation for potential security and military threats in the strategic waterway, according to the country’s state-run IRNA news agency. The drill, called "Smart Control of the Strait of Hormuz," was led by the naval forces of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) under the supervision of IRGC Commander in Chief Maj. Gen. Mohammad Pakpour, according to Iran International . State media said the exercise was organized to assess the readiness of operational units, review security plans and rehearse scenarios for responding to any security and military threats in the area. SCOTT BESSENT SAYS Iran UNDERSTANDS 'BRUTE FORCE' AS TRUMP WEIGHS OPTIONS AMID NUCLEAR STANDOFF The exercises came within hours of renewed diplomatic efforts starting in Geneva between the U.S. and Iran that are aimed at reviving negotiations over Iran’s nuclear program. "I am in Geneva with real ideas to achieve a fair and equitable deal," Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi wrote on X on Monday "What is not on the table: submission before threats," he said. President Donald Trump has ordered a buildup of U.S. military forces in the Middle East and has threatened to strike Iran if its leadership does not agree to a deal on its nuclear program. VANCE WARNS Iran THAT 'ANOTHER OPTION ON THE TABLE' IF NUCLEAR DEAL NOT REACHED On Friday, Trump also offered an endorsement of regime change in Tehran and said it would be the "best thing that could happen" for Iran. U.S. Central Command , or CENTCOM, went on to show U.S. military presence in the region Monday. In a post on X, it shared images of EA-18G Growlers from Electronic Attack Squadron 133 and F-35C Lightning IIs from Marine Fighter Attack Squadron 314 preparing for launch from the flight deck of the USS Abraham Lincoln. "Operating in international waters in the Middle East, the aircraft carrier conducts around-the-clock flight operations in support of regional security," the post said. TOP Iran SECURITY OFFICIAL SEEN IN Oman DAYS AFTER INDIRECT NUCLEAR TALKS WITH US The Pentagon has been building up what Trump has described as an "armada" in the region. The USS Abraham Lincoln is present flanked by three warships equipped with Tomahawk missiles and is at the center of a broader U.S. naval buildup in the region. Meanwhile, Tehran said the second round of talks would be held on Tuesday "with the mediation and good offices of Oman ." Negotiations restarted in Muscat on Feb. 6, after previous talks collapsed when Israel launched an unprecedented bombing campaign against Iran in June that sparked a 12-day war and escalated tensions across the region. On Monday, U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee said there was "significant and legitimate doubt that the Iranians will ever agree to something that would cause them to lay down any ambitions of nuclear weaponry."