US drones warned off from mouth of the Gulf, says Iran

On Tuesday, Iran’s state broadcaster IRIB reported that the Iranian military warned US drones away from military drills near the mouth of the Gulf

The annual drills ended on Tuesday, just weeks before Tehran and the world powers resume talks to resurrect a 2015 nuclear deal.

‘These aircraft (US drones RQ-4 and MQ-9) changed course after approaching the Islamic Republic of Iran’s borders following an air defence intercept and decisive warning,’ IRIB reported.

The military exercises spanned the Indian Ocean and parts of the Red Sea, from the east of the Strait of Hormuz to the north. The Strait of Hormuz waterway in the Gulf transports about a fifth of the world’s oil consumption.

Since 2018, when former US President Donald Trump pulled out of the nuclear deal and reimposed harsh sanctions on Iran, there have been periodic clashes in the Gulf between Iranian and US forces.

Iran has retaliated by violating the nuclear deal’s restrictions on its nuclear programme.