Iran's military warned off US drones trying to approach Iranian war games near the mouth of the Persian Gulf, state broadcaster IRIB said on Tuesday.

Follow Israel Hayom on Facebook and Twitter

The annual exercises concluded on Tuesday, a few weeks before the resumption of talks between Tehran and world powers to revive a 2015 nuclear deal.

"These aircraft (RQ-4 and MQ-9 US drones) changed their route after approaching the borders of the Islamic Republic of Iran following the air defense's interception and decisive warning," IRIB reported.

The exercises stretched from the east of the Strait of Hormuz to the north of the Indian Ocean and parts of the Red Sea. About a fifth of oil that is consumed globally passes through the strategic Strait of Hormuz waterway in the Gulf.

Periodic confrontations have taken place between Iran's military and US forces in the Gulf since 2018 when former US President Donald Trump exited the nuclear pact and reimposed harsh sanctions against Tehran.

Iran has reacted by breaching the deal's limits on its nuclear program.

Indirect talks between Iran and US President Joe Biden's administration to revive the pact, which was put on hold since the election of Iran's hard line President Ebrahim Raisi in June, are set to resume in Vienna on Nov. 29.

Subscribe to Israel Hayom's daily newsletter and never miss our top stories!

The post Iran says it warned off US drones approaching Gulf military drill appeared first on www.israelhayom.com.

Israeli defense officials believe Iran is behind an attack on a cargo ship in the northern Indian Ocean on Saturday, although an official Israeli response to the incident was still forthcoming Sunday morning.

Follow Israel Hayom on Facebook and Twitter

The Iranians, it appears, thought the vessel, identified as the Liberia-flagged CSAV Tyndall, was under the ownership of Israeli businessman Eyal Ofer. However, Ofer sold the ship to a foreign buyer months ago.

Hezbollah-affiliated outlet Al-Mayadeen reported that a fire had broken out on the ship as it was en route to the United Arab Emirates from Saudi Arabia.

No one was wounded in the alleged attack and the ship sustained only minor damage. No organization or country has claimed responsibility.

Hebrew-language news outlet N12 said the vessel was owned by Zodiac Maritime Ltd, a London-headquartered international ship management company that later said it did not own or manage the CSAV Tyndall.

Iranian media widely reported the attack, citing Al Mayadeen, which was among the first news outlets to report an attack on a commercial vessel owned by an Israeli company in April.

Iran's largest navy ship sank in early June after catching fire in the Gulf of Oman, in what appeared to be the latest incident in a region of sensitive waterways, where arch-enemies Iran and Israel have traded accusations of attacks on each other's vessels.

In March, the Wall Street Journal reported that Israel had targeted at least a dozen Iranian oil ships bound for Syria since 2019.

Multiple unnamed officials from the US and the Middle East told the WSJ that the vessels had been hit out of concern that oil profits from the cargo would go to fund extremism in the Middle East.

Last Thursday, IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Aviv Kochavi issued a general warning against attacking Israel. "Let anyone who tries harming the State of Israel know – any enemy activity, near or far, will be met with a significant response. Overt or covert."

Subscribe to Israel Hayom's daily newsletter and never miss our top stories!

The post Report: Iran errantly targets cargo ship formerly under Israeli ownership appeared first on www.israelhayom.com.

The Iranian and Russian militaries have kicked off a joint naval drill in the Indian Ocean aimed at boosting the security of maritime trade in the region, Iran's state TV reported on Tuesday.

Follow Israel Hayom on Facebook and Twitter

Units from Iran's Navy and the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps' navy will reportedly take part in the exercise dubbed "Iran-Russia Maritime Security Belt 2021" in the northern part of the Indian Ocean, spanning a stretch of about 17,000 kilometers (10,600 miles).

According to Iranian Adm. Gholamreza Tahani, the drill spokesman, a Russian destroyer, logistics ship and a helicopter were to participate in the drill. This is the second such joint Russia-Iran exercise since 2019, when the two nations plus China held a four-day exercise.

Tehran has been seeking to step up military cooperation with Beijing and Moscow amid regional tensions with the United States. Visits to Iran by Russian and Chinese naval representatives have also increased in recent years.

The post Report: Iran and Russia begin joint naval drill appeared first on www.israelhayom.com.