Gulf of Oman

China is pleading with Iran to keep the Strait of Hormuz open for oil shipments, but the terrorist Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) insisted on Monday that any ship attempting to pass through the strategically vital strait will be “set ablaze.”

Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps announced Saturday the strategically vital Strait of Hormuz was closed to all shipping traffic.

Iranian and Russian naval forces held joint exercises in the Gulf of Oman and Indian Ocean as U.S. forces mass for possible action.

Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), a designated terrorist organization, closed the strategically vital Strait of Hormuz for a few hours on Tuesday to conduct live-fire naval drills.

Threats to commercial vessels around the Arabian Peninsula are growing after U.S. airstrikes against Iran’s nuclear weapons program.

Iran, Russia, and China are scheduled to hold joint naval exercises beginning on Tuesday near the southeastern Iranian port of Chabahar, according to Iranian state media.

The Russian Defense Ministry on Monday announced that a group of Russian warships has arrived in Iranian waters for participation in a joint exercise with Iran and China called “Maritime Security Belt 2024.”

The deployment follows the seizure of an Israeli-linked cargo vessel by Iranian-backed Yemeni Huthis in the Red Sea on November 19.

Warships from China, Iran, and Russia joined together Wednesday to begin naval drills in the Gulf of Oman and near the strategic Strait of Hormuz, China’s Defense Ministry announced.

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) – French naval forces in January seized thousands of assault rifles, machine guns, and anti-tank missiles in the Gulf of Oman coming from Iran heading to Yemen’s Houthi rebels, officials said Thursday, the latest such interdiction amid the Mideast nation´s long-running war.

DUBAI – The U.S. Navy has rescued five Iranian sailors injured in an explosion that erupted on their vessel and seized its cargo of illegal drugs, a statement said on Thursday.

Bahraini leaders committed Thursday to partner with a new U.S. Navy task force to ramp up new unmanned systems for maritime operations, the Navy said on Wednesday.

FUJAIRAH, United Arab Emirates (AP) – The hijackers who captured a vessel off the coast of the United Arab Emirates in the Gulf of Oman departed the targeted ship on Wednesday, the British navy reported, as recorded radio traffic appeared to reveal a crew member onboard saying Iranian gunmen had stormed the asphalt tanker.

The UKMTO warned of a “potential hijack” of a ship off the coast of the United Arab Emirates in the Gulf of Oman, without elaborating.

Iran’s largest naval vessel caught fire and sank Wednesday in the Gulf of Oman, under circumstances yet to be made clear by Tehran.

Iran’s Navy Commander, Rear Admiral Hossein Khanzadi, said Thursday no foreign warships would dare enter its territorial waters because of the nation’s seaborne superiority, promising a “grinding response” awaits any intruders that tried.

Russian news sources reported Monday that Russia, China, and Iran will hold joint naval drills in the northern Indian Ocean in the next few weeks. The precise date and scope of the exercises were not specified.

A U.S. military official on Thursday accused the Iranian navy of boarding a Liberian-flagged oil tanker near the strategic Strait of Hormuz as tensions between Tehran and Washington continue to climb.

Japan despatched a navy destroyer to the Middle East on Sunday for a rare overseas mission to help ensure the safe passage of shipping transiting the Persian Gulf, Gulf of Oman and Bab el-Mandeb.

Iran, China and Russia began naval drills on Friday in the Indian Ocean and Gulf of Oman, an Iranian naval spokesman said, warning this is only the first in what will be many joint maritime exercises between the three nations.

Japan announced Thursday it is sending warships to patrol strategic Middle East waterways, joining assets from the U.S., Australia and the UK already working to ensure the safety of commercial shipping traffic in the area.

China, Russia and Iran will hold joint naval drills starting Friday in the Gulf of Oman, Beijing said, at a time of heightened tensions since the US withdrew from a landmark nuclear deal with Tehran.

Japan’s government said Friday it has decided not to join a U.S. coalition to protect commercial vessels in the Middle East but is preparing to send its own force to ensure the safe shipment of oil to Japan.

A large British-flagged tanker has transited the Strait of Hormuz accompanied by a Royal Navy frigate in the first such passage since Iran seized a U.K.-flagged vessel last week.

TEL AVIV – The IDF has increased its alert status amid fears that Iran could attack Israel next following the Gulf oil tanker incident, Channel 12 reported Sunday.

The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) issued an emergency order on Thursday night banning some U.S.-based air carriers from flying through Iranian airspace, including parts of the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman. Several international carriers quickly announced precautions of their own.

U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) released vision Friday morning that confirms a U.S. Navy Broad Area Maritime Surveillance (or BAMS-D) ISR Global Hawk drone was lost to an Iranian surface-to-air missile.

American-registered aircraft were barred from entering Iranian-administered airspace in the Strait of Hormuz and Gulf of Oman on Friday, just 24-hours after the Iran Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) downed a U.S. military surveillance drone.

Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said Thursday it had shot down a U.S. “spy drone” over its territory, sending “a clear message” to America in doing so.

Limpet mine fragments and a magnet were displayed by a U.S. Navy expert Wednesday who said they carried a striking resemblance to Iran-issue munitions.

The DOD is expecting reconnaissance-type aircraft to be part of the forces headed to the Middle East in response to actions taken by Iran.

Iran claimed Tuesday it had discovered and dismantled a “big” American spy operation on its territory, with links to the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency destroyed in the process.

The Pentagon released new images late Monday night which officials said offered more evidence members of Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) were responsible for last week’s attacks on oil tankers in the Gulf of Oman.

The Pentagon announced Monday Shanahan has authorized sending another approximately 1,000 troops to the Middle East.

TEL AVIV – A former Iranian diplomat charged Israel with being responsible for Thursday’s attacks on two oil tankers in the Gulf of Oman, an Iranian media outlet reported. 

TEL AVIV – Israeli intelligence has joined the U.S.’s accusations that Iran carried out Thursday’s attacks on two oil tankers in the Gulf of Oman, an Israeli TV report claimed over the weekend, citing senior intelligence officials.