Iran’s Revolutionary Guard drill on disputed Persian Gulf islands

TEHRAN, Iran — Iran’s paramilitary Revolutionary Guard launched a surprise military drill Wednesday on disputed islands in the Persian Gulf, just as the U.S. military increase its presence in the region over recent ship seizures by Tehran.

The drill focused primarily on Abu Musa Island, though the Guard also landed forces on the Greater Tunb Island as well, Iran’s state-run IRNA news agency reported. Swarms of small, fast boats took part, along with paratroopers, drones and truck-launched surface-to-sea missile systems, footage aired on state television showed.

“We always try for security and tranquility; it is our way,” the Guard’s chief, Gen. Hossein Salami, said in a televised address during the drill. “Our nation is vigilant, and it gives harsh responses to all threats, complicated seditions and secret scenarios and hostilities.”

Salami later told state TV: “There is absolutely no need for the presence of America or its European or non-European allies in the region.”

The drill comes as thousands of Marines and sailors on both the amphibious assault ship USS Bataan and the USS Carter Hall, a landing ship, are on their way to the Persian Gulf. Already, the U.S. has sent A-10 Thunderbolt II warplanes, F-16 and F-35 fighters, as well as the destroyer USS Thomas Hudner, to the region.

The Pentagon has said the deployment is “in response to recent attempts by Iran to threaten the free flow of commerce in the Strait of Hormuz and its surrounding waters.” Some 20% of the world’s oil passes through the narrow waterway connecting the Persian Gulf to the wider world and the U.S. views it as crucial to both its national security and keeping global energy prices stable.

Meanwhile, Iran now enriches uranium closer than ever to weapon-grade levels after the collapse of its 2015 nuclear deal with world powers.

The use of Abu Musa and Greater Tunb in the drill also provides another message to the region. Those two islands remain claimed by the United Arab Emirates, home to Abu Dhabi and Dubai. Iran’s late shah seized the islands in 1971 just before the UAE became an independent country and Tehran has held the islands since. Lesser Tunb Island was also seized.

Seizing those islands reminds Iran’s neighbors of its military might as Tehran’s diplomats have been trying to convince Gulf Arab countries allied with the U.S. that “foreigners” aren’t needed to secure the region.

Meanwhile, Iran has been trying to signal its displeasure over recent comments about the islands made by Russia, which Tehran has supplied with bomb-carrying drones for their war in Ukraine. Russia earlier this summer in a joint statement with the Gulf Cooperation Council called for “bilateral negotiations or the International Court of Justice” to decide who should control the islands. That prompted an outcry in Iran and Tehran summoned the Russian envoy over the remarks.

Gambrell reported from Dubai, United Arab Emirates.

伊朗德黑兰——就在美军因德黑兰近期扣押船只而加强在该地区军事存在的背景下，伊朗准军事组织革命卫队周三在波斯湾争议岛屿上发动了一次出人意料的军事演习。

据伊朗官方通讯社伊通社报道，此次演习主要集中在阿布穆萨岛，但伊朗革命卫队也在大通布岛部署了兵力。国家电视台播放的画面显示，大量小型快艇、伞兵、无人机和车载舰空导弹系统参与了演习。

“我们始终致力于维护安全与安宁；这是我们的行事方式，”国民警卫队总司令侯赛因·萨拉米将军在演习期间的电视讲话中说道。“我国保持警惕，对所有威胁、复杂的叛乱、秘密阴谋和敌对行动都将予以严厉回击。”

萨拉米后来在接受国家电视台采访时表示：“美国及其欧洲或非欧洲盟友在该地区的存在绝对没有必要。”

此次演习正值数千名海军陆战队员和水兵从两栖攻击舰“巴丹”号和登陆舰“卡特·霍尔”号前往波斯湾之际。此前，美国已向该地区派遣了A-10“雷电II”攻击机、F-16和F-35战斗机以及驱逐舰“托马斯·胡德纳”号。

五角大楼表示，此次部署是“为了应对伊朗近期企图威胁霍尔木兹海峡及其周边水域自由贸易的行为”。全球约20%的石油都要经过这条连接波斯湾与世界的狭窄水道，美国认为它对自身国家安全和维持全球能源价格稳定至关重要。

与此同时，在2015年与世界大国达成的核协议破裂后，伊朗现在比以往任何时候都更接近武器级铀的浓缩水平。

此次演习中使用阿布穆萨岛和大通布岛也向该地区传递了另一个信息。这两个岛屿仍被阿拉伯联合酋长国（阿布扎比和迪拜所在地）声称拥有主权。伊朗已故国王于1971年，也就是阿联酋独立前夕，占领了这两个岛屿，德黑兰此后一直控制着它们。小通布岛也曾被伊朗占领。

占领这些岛屿提醒伊朗的邻国，伊朗拥有强大的军事实力。与此同时，德黑兰的外交官们一直试图说服与美国结盟的海湾阿拉伯国家，该地区的安全不需要“外国人”。

与此同时，伊朗试图对俄罗斯近期就这些岛屿发表的言论表示不满。德黑兰曾向俄罗斯提供携带炸弹的无人机，用于其在乌克兰的战争。今年夏天早些时候，俄罗斯与海湾合作委员会发表联合声明，呼吁通过“双边谈判或国际法院”来决定这些岛屿的控制权归属。此举在伊朗引发强烈抗议，德黑兰就此召见了俄罗斯特使。

Gambrell从阿拉伯联合酋长国迪拜报道。