Iran fires ballistic and cruise missiles at simulated targets near Persian Gulf

Iran’s military fired ballistic and cruise missiles at simulated targets near the Persian Gulf on Friday as part of an exercise aimed at deterring foreign threats, a report said.

The drills carried out by Iran’s Revolutionary Guards Navy began Thursday in the Strait of Hormuz and Gulf of Oman, according to Reuters.

The news agency cited Iranian state media as saying that a massive launch Friday of Qadr 110, Qadr 380 and Qadr 360 cruise missiles, as well as ballistic missiles, were directed toward targets in the Gulf of Oman.

TV footage showed the missiles’ launch and hitting their targets.

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State media said the drills demonstrated the “unwavering spirit and resistance” of Iran’s sailors in confronting threats, Reuters also reported.

The drill is the second one after the Israel-Iran war in June that killed nearly 1,100 people in Iran, including military commanders and nuclear scientists. Missile attacks by Iran killed 28 in Israel. 

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Since the end of the war, Iran has increasingly insisted it is ready to counter any future Israeli attack. Iran launched its first naval drill in the area in August.

Iran’s paramilitary Revolutionary Guard is mainly in charge of operations in the Persian Gulf and its narrow mouth, the Strait of Hormuz. The national navy is in charge of Sea of Oman and beyond. 

Iran has long threatened to close off the Strait of Hormuz, through which 20% of all global oil traded passes, according to The Associated Press.

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The U.S. Navy has long patrolled the Mideast through its Bahrain-based 5th Fleet to keep the waterways open. 

The Associated Press contributed to this report.