Iran's Revolutionary Guards Corps staged a major military exercise across the country's south on Monday amid heightened tensions over Tehran's nuclear program, state TV reported.

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The IRGC aerospace division, ground troops and naval forces joined in the five-day drill, the report said, with maritime forces set to maneuver in the strategic Strait of Hormuz, the narrow gateway for 20% of the world's traded oil.

The exercise comes days after talks to revive Tehran's tattered nuclear deal with world powers broke up in Vienna. Iran has accelerated its nuclear advances as negotiations to return to the accord struggle to make headway, alarming Israel and other regional rivals. Israel has repeatedly threatened unilateral action against Iran's nuclear program.

Gen. Gholamali Rashid, a top IRGC commander, vowed a harsh response to any Israeli military action against Iran.

Iranian forces will launch "a crushing attack on all bases, centers, paths and space used to carry out the aggression without delay," the semi-official Mehr news agency quoted him as saying.

"Any threat to Iran's nuclear and military bases by the Zionist regime is not possible without the green light support of the United States," he said.

Earlier on Monday, residents in Bushehr, some 700 kilometers (440 miles) south of Iran's capital, Tehran, reported seeing a light in the sky and hearing a loud explosion near the Bushehr nuclear power plant.

It was the second time this month that sudden anti-aircraft firing erupted the middle of the night near an Iranian nuclear facility, which Iranian forces hours later described as drill for its surface-to-air missile defense system.

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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.

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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.

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Iran's elite Revolutionary Guards unveiled an underground missile base at an undisclosed Persian Gulf location on Friday, Iranian state media reported, at a time of heightened tension between Tehran and the United States.

"The base is one of several bases housing the navy's strategic missiles," state media quoted IRGC commander Maj. Gen. Hossein Salami, as saying.

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Last year, the Guards said Iran had built underground "missile cities" along the Gulf coastline, warning of a "nightmare for Iran's enemies."

"These missiles have ranges of hundreds of kilometers, enjoy pinpoint accuracy and huge destructive power, and can overcome the enemy's electronic warfare equipment," Salami said.

There have been periodic confrontations in the Gulf in recent years between the Guards and the US military, which has accused the Guards' navy of sending fast attack craft to harass US warships as they pass through the Strait of Hormuz.

Tensions have been high between Tehran and Washington since 2018, when US President Donald Trump exited the 2015 nuclear deal between Iran and six world powers aimed at limiting the Islamic Republic's nuclear program and re-imposed sanctions that have crippled the country's economy.

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Iran's Revolutionary Guards Corps seized a South Korean-flagged tanker in Gulf waters, Iranian media said on Monday, at a time of tension between Tehran and Seoul over Iranian funds frozen at South Korean banks due to US sanctions.

Several Iranian media outlets, including Iranian state TV, said the Guards navy captured the vessel for polluting the Gulf with chemicals. The semi-official Tasnim news agency published pictures showing what it identified as Guards speed boats escorting the tanker HANKUK CHEMI, which it said was carrying 7,200 tons of ethanol.

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It said the vessel's crew members had been detained and included nationals of South Korea, Indonesia, Vietnam and Myanmar, but did not say how many there were. It said the tanker was being held at Iran's Bandar Abbas port city.

South Korea's foreign ministry did not have an immediate comment. The US Navy's Bahrain-based Fifth Fleet was aware and monitoring the situation, spokeswoman Rebecca Rebarich said in response to a Reuters query.

Iranian authorities have yet to comment on the incident, which comes ahead of an expected visit by South Korea's deputy foreign minister to Tehran.

Iranian foreign ministry said on Monday that the visit would happen in coming days and would discuss Iran's demand that South Korea release $7 billion in funds frozen in South Korean banks because of US sanctions.

The United States re-imposed sanctions on Iran in 2018 after Washington withdrew from Iran's 2015 nuclear deal with six major powers. Tehran calls the US sanctions economic warfare.

Two maritime security companies earlier said the HANKUK CHEMI appeared to have been seized by Iranian authorities.British firm Ambrey said the South Korean-flagged vessel, owned by DM Shipping Co, had departed from the Petroleum Chemical Quay in Jubail, in Saudi Arabia, before the incident and had since been tracked inside Iranian territorial waters headed towards Bandar Abbas.

Another maritime security firm, Dryad Global, said on its website the chemical tanker had "likely been detained by Iranian forces" in the Strait of Hormuz while inbound to Fujairah in the United Arab Emirates.

In early 2019, Iran heightened tensions in the world's busiest oil waterway by seizing British-flagged tanker Stena Impero two weeks after a British warship had intercepted an Iranian tanker off the coast of Gibraltar.

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An American nuclear-powered guided-missile submarine traversed the strategically vital waterway between Iran and the Arabian Peninsula on Monday, the US Navy said, a rare announcement that comes amid rising tensions with Iran.

The Navy's 5th Fleet based in Bahrain said the Ohio-class guided-missile submarine USS Georgia, accompanied by two other warships, passed through the Strait of Hormuz, a narrow passageway through which a fifth of the world's oil supplies travels.

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The unusual transit in the Persian Gulf's shallow waters, aimed at underscoring American military might in the region, follows the killing last month of Mohsen Fakhrizadeh, an Iranian scientist named by the West as the leader of the Islamic Republic's disbanded military nuclear program. It also comes some two weeks before the anniversary of the American drone strike in January that killed top Iranian military commander Gen. Qassem Soleimani. Iran has promised to seek revenge for both killings.

The Ohio-class ballistic-missile submarine's presence in Middle East waterways signals the US Navy's "commitment to regional partners and maritime security," the Navy said, demonstrating its readiness "to defend against any threat at any time." The USS Georgia is armed with 154 Tomahawk land-attack cruise missiles and can host up to 66 special operations forces, the Navy added.

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The Strait of Hormuz is the world's single most important oil passageway, as it is the only route to the open ocean for over a third of the world's liquefied natural gas and almost 25% of total global oil shipments.

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The Iranian military reportedly plans to deploy warships, submarines, along with unmanned aerial vehicle technology to the area.

The military exercise will be an opportunity for Tehran to show its "authority" and its "ability to act promptly" along its coasts, explained Iranian admiral Amir-Habibollah Sayyari.

This development comes against a backdrop of heightened tensions between Tehran and Washington after Iran had built and moved a mock American aircraft carrier in the Strait of Hormuz in July, in view of possible military exercises.

The report also comes a few days before the signing of the peace agreement between the UAE and Israel, scheduled for September 15 at the White House, which should formalize the normalization of diplomatic relations between the two countries.

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On August 16, Iranian President Hassan Rouhani threatened the Emirates, saying they had made a "huge mistake" in concluding this agreement with the Jewish state.

This article was originally published by i24NEWS.

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But while Iran's ballistic and cruise missile programs were making headlines following Wednesday's brazen attack, Iran's most destructive response would be naval action in the Persian Gulf, both in terms of the American presence there and the world economy.

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The US comprehends the nature of the threat perfectly, and issued a rare warning to its ships in the Mediterranean and the Persian Gulf about possible Iranian raids that could come as retaliation for Soleimani's death.

The warning is not theoretical: this past year, Iran has raided a few vessels, most notably the British Stena Impero, which was a response to a similar British action against an Iranian tanker that was bringing oil to Syria.

The West is also claiming that Iran was behind attacks at Fujairah Port, one of the most important oil shipping ports in the United Arab Emirates, as well as attacks on oil tankers in open waters. Tehran never claimed the attacks, but the US disseminated footage of the IRGC's navy returning to the scene of the incident, and it resonated. Iran's belligerent maritime actions peaked when it shot down a high-tech US drone over international waters last June.

'One strike is enough'

Iran's growing prowess at sea is more confusing than anything. Along with building advanced weaponry such as missile ships and submarines, the Iranians also maintain a huge fleet of small boats that it operates secretly.

"What is important to understand in terms of Iran's naval power is that it is in effect two separate forces," explains Ido Gilad, a research fellow at the Maritime Policy & Strategy Research Center and the Chaikin Chair for Geostrategy at the University of Haifa.

"Alongside Iran's official navy, which has an impressive number [of vessels], even if some are outdated; there is the Iranian Revolutionary Guards' naval force. That is a secret force that maintains a large, unknown number of small vessels and submarines designed to carry out actions that are 'extra-governmental,' or actually terrorism," Gilad says.

That is one of the ideas for which Soleimani was noted – sophisticated, high-level operations in a number of arenas, thus allowing for many different types of actions and responses. Indeed, the IRGC's naval forces are believed to be behind most of Iran's maritime terrorist actions this past year. It also frequently serves to send Iranian threats to the US. In 2015, the IRGC conducted a military drill that simulated the attack and seizure of an American aircraft carrier, an unequivocal threat to one of the US' most valuable military assets.

Then-commander of the IRGC's naval forces, Admiral Ali Fadavi, bragged at the time that "American aircraft carriers are easy to sink … They are full of missiles, ammunition, jet fuel, and torpedoes. One strike is enough to set off a wave of secondary explosions," he said. Since then, Iran has repeated its threat against US aircraft carriers multiple times.

According to Professor Shaul Chorev, director of the Maritime Policy & Strategy Research Center, "It's very difficult to attack American aircraft carriers. There is definitely an element of braggadocio here. Aside from the planes and firepower it carries, that particular vessel is defended by an impressive group of [other] ships, submarines, and small boats.

"This doesn't eradicate the threat from the IRGC's naval forces. The US maintains an enormous navy - the Iranian navy doesn't come close to it, but the idea behind the IRGC's perception is to exact a price, to hurt, to deter conflict and escalation. Their tactics, such as using small missile-armed boats to confuse and attack larger ships; heavy use of surface-to-surface missiles and raiding vessels like they did the American patrol boat - these are operations that leave an impression and cost the enemy," Chorev explains.

No one wants to wake the sleeping giant

A maritime conflict in the Persian Gulf or the Strait of Hormuz, on any scale, is not merely a military question but also one of prestige for Iran and the US. Over 20 million barrels of oil pass through the Strait of Hormuz each day en route to the world's markets. Not only the national economies of local nations, including Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, and the UAE depend on oil revenues - so does the world energy market. This makes any conflict in the Gulf, even a relatively small one, an international incident.

Nevertheless, Chorev thinks that there is a real chance Iran could opt to carry out a response in that region precisely because it is so exposed.

"The possibility of closing the Strait of Hormuz or attacking some of the traffic there is definitely in Tehran's bank of responses. They might limit the extent of the closure or make some excuse for it or through a proxy force, without officially declaring it, like they have done in the past when raiding ships. It's not certain the US has a way of handling that scenario," Chorev observes.

Gilad, on the other hand, thinks that a complex operation to close the Strait of Hormuz, even temporarily, would mean Iran shooting itself in the foot. He says that Iran is dependent on its already-shrinking revenue from oil that passes through the strait, and that even a low-level conflict in the Gulf is the last thing Tehran needs.

Gilad sees Iran's actions in a different light.

"The maritime drill Iran conducted with China and Russia a couple of weeks ago, which caused an international storm, was aimed at not only showing that it was not diplomatically isolated but also that in cooperation with nations that have a clear interest in the region such as India, Russia, and China, it can ensure freedom of movement in the Gulf. They don't want to wake the 'American giant' at this stage," Gilad says.

Whether Tehran wants to calm the waters of the Gulf, or is preparing to relaunch its terrorist actions there, the maritime powder keg should worry leaders of the world at large, and leaders of the Persian Gulf region in particular.

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Tensions in the Gulf have mounted since attacks on oil tankers this summer, including off the coast of the United Arab Emirates, and a major strike on oil facilities in Saudi Arabia. Washington has blamed Iran, which has denied being behind the attacks.

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"I think they're going to continue to perform provocative actions over there ... and I think they'll look at every opportunity they can to do that," Modly said without giving a timeline or details.

"There's nothing that suggests to me, short of a regime change there, that you have a different tone set from the leadership, that would suggest to me that they're going to stop doing what they've been doing," he added.

Since May, the Pentagon has sent 14,000 additional troops to the region to deter Iran, including an aircraft carrier.

Modly suggested that US reactions to Iranian actions could take away from the Pentagon's focus toward priorities like countering China.

"As they start creating mischief over there ... our reaction is we send an aircraft carrier over there for 10 months," he said.

"What does that do to our carrier readiness? It degrades readiness the longer it's over there."

Modly's warning on future actions coincides with China, Iran, and Russia beginning joint naval drills in the Indian Ocean and the Gulf of Oman.

Waters around Iran have become a locus of international tension, with the United States exerting pressure for Iranian crude oil sales and other trade ties to be cut off, mainly through extensive sanctions.

The Gulf of Oman is a particularly sensitive waterway as it connects to the Strait of Hormuz – through which about a fifth of the world's oil passes – which in turn connects to the Gulf.

Asked if he expected Iran to lash out in the region as a result of internal protests, Modly said he had not seen intelligence on that.

Demonstrations against a hike in fuel prices turned political last month in Iran, sparking the bloodiest crackdown in the 40-year history of the Islamic republic.

About 1,500 people were killed during less than two weeks of unrest, three Iranian interior ministry officials told Reuters.

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John Rood, the Pentagon's No. 3 official, told reporters that the United States was concerned about potential Iranian behavior but did not provide details about what information he was basing that concern on or any timeline.

Tensions in the Gulf have risen since attacks on oil tankers this summer, including off the coast of the United Arab Emirates, and a major assault on energy facilities in Saudi Arabia. Washington has blamed Iran, which has denied being behind the attacks on global energy infrastructure.

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The kingdom's decision to enter the International Maritime Security Construct came ahead of a planned visit by US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo. Saudi officials separately planned to share information about the weapons used to attack a Saudi oil field and the world's largest crude oil processing plant, Saturday.

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Yemen's Iranian-backed Houthi rebels have taken responsibility for the attack, but the US and Saudi Arabia say they suspect Iran carried out the assault. Iran denies that, though it comes amid a summer of heightened tensions between Tehran and Washington over its unraveling nuclear deal with world powers.

The state-run Saudi Press Agency issued a statement on Wednesday morning quoting an unnamed official saying the kingdom had joined the International Maritime Security Construct.

Australia, Bahrain, and the United Kingdom have already joined the mission.

"The kingdom's accession to this international alliance comes in support of regional and international efforts to deter and counter threats to maritime navigation and global trade in order to ensure global energy security and the continued flow of energy supplies to the global economy and contribute to maintain the international peace and security," the news agency said.

US military officials did not immediately respond to requests for comment from The Associated Press.

The coalition aims to secure the broader Persian Gulf region. It includes surveillance of the Strait of Hormuz, the narrow mouth of the Persian Gulf through which a fifth of the world's oil travels, and Bab-el-Mandeb, another narrow strait that connects the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden off Yemen and East Africa. Smaller patrol boats and other craft will be available for rapid response. The plan also allows for nations to escort their own ships through the region.

The US Navy has already sent Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyers to chokepoint positions, such as either end of the Strait of Hormuz. There, they observe ship traffic and monitor for anything unusual as drones and other aircraft fly surveillance routes overhead.

The US blames Iran for the apparent limpet mine explosions on four vessels in May and another two in June sailing in the Gulf of Oman near the Strait of Hormuz, something Iran denies. Iran also seized a British-flagged oil tanker and another based in the United Arab Emirates.

Nevertheless, Iranian President Hassan Rouhani on Wednesday said Saudi Arabia should see the attack on its oil facilities over the weekend as a warning to end its Yemen war. He did not address allegations Iran was behind the attack.

A Saudi-led coalition has been battling Yemen's Iranian-backed Houthi rebels since March 2015.

It's unclear what role the kingdom will play in the coalition. Bahrain already serves as the headquarters of the US Navy's 5th Fleet.

Wednesday's announcement comes after Saudi Arabia's energy minister said late Tuesday that more than half of the country's daily crude oil production that was knocked out by an attack had been recovered and that production capacity at its targeted plants would be fully restored by the end of the month.

"Where would you find a company in this whole world that went through such a devastating attack and came out like a phoenix?" Energy Minister Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman asked about state-owned Saudi Aramco, which was the target of the attacks. His question to reporters, many of them Saudi, drew applause.

Abdulaziz said Aramco would honor its commitments to its customers this month by drawing from its reserves of crude oil and offering additional crude production from other oil fields. He said that production capacity would reach up to 11 million barrels a day by the end of September and 12 million barrels in November.

He said production at the Abqaiq processing facility is currently at 2 million barrels per day.

Oil prices spiked Monday, with benchmark Brent crude having the biggest percentage gain since the 1991 Gulf War. Prices dropped on Tuesday around the time of the Saudi announcement.

Pompeo was due to land in the Red Sea city of Jiddah, where he was scheduled to meet with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. Pompeo will then travel to the United Arab Emirates on Thursday to meet with Abu Dhabi's powerful crown prince, Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan. Both nations are US allies and have been fighting against the Houthis in Yemen since March 2015.

The Saudi military planned to speak to journalists in Riyadh on Wednesday to discuss the investigation into Saturday's attack "and present material evidence and Iranian weapons proving the Iranian regime's involvement." It did not elaborate.

Marine Gen. Joseph Dunford, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said Tuesday that US military experts were in Saudi Arabia working with their counterparts to "do the forensics on the attack" – gleaning evidence that could help build a convincing case for where the weapons originated.

On Wednesday, French President Emmanuel Macron's office announced experts from his nation would be traveling to Saudi Arabia to help the kingdom shed light "on the origin and methods" of the attacks.

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