Maritime security

Iran's IRGC Navy launches maritime drill in Strait of Hormuz, one day before US nuclear talks

The drill, named "Smart Control of Hormuz Strait," aimed at testing the readiness of operational forces in the face of "possible security and military threats," Tasnim reported.

Military personnel place a flag on a submarine during the Velayat-90 war games by the Iranian navy in the Strait of Hormuz in southern Iran December 27, 2011
 US military forces boarded the crude oil tanker Aquila II in the Indian Ocean after pursuing it from the Caribbean. The vessel was accused of breaching Washington's blockade on sanctioned vessels traveling to or from Venezuela. February 9, 2026.

US forces board Venezuela-linked oil tanker in Indian Ocean without incident

Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) Navy's speedboats move during an exercise in Abu Musa Island, in this picture obtained on August 2, 2023

Iran's IRGC seizes two vessels in Persian Gulf, official threatens US with 'massacre and hell'

 An F/A-18F Super Hornet, assigned to Strike Fighter Squadron (VFA) 41, prepares to make an arrested landing on the flight deck of the US Navy Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln in the Pacific Ocean August 10, 2024

Aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln en route to Middle East as US mulls over Iran strike options


First Red Sea naval attack in months raises alarms - analysis

The attack on the ship comes as Iranian-backed militias in Iraq are also suspected of numerous drone and missile attacks over the past two weeks.

THE ‘CORDELIA MOON’ oil tanker bursts into flames after being hit in a Houthi missile attack off Yemen’s Hodeidah Port last October.

Iran's last card: Will the Houthis try to rejoin the war amid Israeli strikes? - analysis

The US threats to intervene against Iran have apparently led the Houthis to reconsider their stance, leading to Iran possibly playing its final card.

Houthi supporters protest in solidarity with Palestinians and Iran, in Sanaa, Yemen June 20, 2025

Iran and Israel trade accusations at UN shipping agency over sea lanes

Iran has previously threatened to close the Strait of Hormuz to traffic in retaliation for Western pressure.

 IDF Naval Commander V.-Adm. David Saar Salama and Iranian Navy Commander R.-Adm. Shahram Irani (illustrative).

Two oil tankers collide and catch fire near Strait of Hormuz

The Strait of Hormuz links the Gulf to the northwest with the Gulf of Oman to the southeast and the Arabian Sea beyond.

 A view of a ship on fire in the area of reported collision between two oil tankers near the Strait of Hormuz, United Arab Emirates, June 16, 2025

Former Israeli Navy chief: Handling of Gaza flotilla incident was a 'diplomatic failure'

The Gaza Flotilla was "a completely unnecessary event that should have ended as a diplomatic event," the former Navy commander said.

Activist Greta Thunberg seen aboard the Gaza Freedom Flotilla, with an Israeli Navy vessel seen in the background

Red Sea marine traffic jumps by 60% in wake of Houthi, US ceasefire

The number of merchant ships using the narrow Bab al-Mandab strait increased after missile and drone attacks by the Houthis slowed.

 Houthi protesters hold weapons during a demonstration in Sanaa, Yemen, May 30, 2025

Greta Thunberg's flotilla en route to Gaza: How is the IDF preparing?

The IDF is prepared for the arrival of the protest flotilla called the "Freedom Flotilla". It will take control of the vessel and deport protestors if necessary.

A drone view shows the Gaza-bound aid ship Madleen, organized by the international NGO Freedom Flotilla Coalition, anchored off the coast of Catania, Italy, on June 1, 2025

Pakistan bars Indian ships, test-fires missile as tensions soar

Islamabad and New Delhi impose mutual sanctions, close borders, and place forces on alert after a deadly April 22 attack in Kashmir.

 A Pakistani Ranger stands guard during the 'Beating Retreat' ceremony at the border gates of Pakistan and India at the Wagah border post near Lahore on May 4, 2025.

Trump considering plan to disrupt Iranian oil supply, stop ships at sea

John Bolton, the lead negotiator for the initiative when it was formed, told Reuters "it would be fully justified" to use the initiative to slow down Iran oil exports.

 Valve on an Iranian gas pipeline (illustrative)

Iran's new aircraft carrier could be a rising threat to Israel

Iran boosts naval power with a new aircraft carrier, triggering Israeli security concerns over the fate of the Middle East.

 Upward-sloping deck of the Shahid Bagheri.