Iran"s Revolutionary Guards on Friday started...

During the first stage of the war games, code-named The Great Prophet 5, the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps "covered the expanse of the Persian Gulf waters using high-speed boats," Rear Admiral Ali-Reza Tangsiri, commander of the IRGC First Marine Division, said.

The Great Prophet 5 exercise was launched on Thursday as the elite force marked the 31st anniversary of its establishment by revolutionary leader Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini in 1979. It will continue until Saturday.

Brigadier General Hossein Salami, IRGC deputy commander, said on Wednesday the drills were designed to "ensure security in the Persian Gulf, Strait of Hormuz, and the Gulf of Oman."

Tests are being held with an array of indigenous missiles and other weapons.

Iranian military officials have repeatedly warned that if Tehran is attacked, it will hit back by blocking the Strait of Hormuz.

Nearly 40% of the world"s seaborne oil shipments pass through this strategically important

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