Iran’s Revolutionary Guard holds military drill amid tension

By AMIR VAHDAT
Associated Press

TEHRAN, Iran (AP) — Iran’s paramilitary Revolutionary Guard is staging a major military exercise across the country’s south amid heightened tensions over Tehran’s nuclear program. The Guard’s aerospace division, ground troops and naval forces joined in the five-day drill on Monday. Maritime forces were 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 struggle to make headway, alarming Israel and other regional rivals. Israel has repeatedly threatened unilateral action against Iran’s nuclear program.