Iran fires live missiles as part of its military drill in the Strait of Hormuz, according to multiple semi-official Iranian news agencies.
The development comes as the U.S. and Iran begin their second round of indirect talks on Iran’s nuclear program. https://t.co/8xZqWbA6tt— The Associated Press (@AP) February 17, 2026
Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps also held drills around the strategic Strait of Hormuz on Monday (February 16), which were focused on delivering a “decisive” response to security threats.The talks with US in Geneva, mediated by Oman, started on Tuesday, at around 10.30 am local time, Iran’s state broadcaster said. The last round of talks, held in Oman on February 6, lasted for about seven hours, with both sides describing them as “good.”
Iranian officials have expressed their willingness to discuss their nuclear-enrichment activities but have tied any concessions to the potential easing of American sanctions.
Also Read: Iran, US meet for second round of nuclear talks in Geneva
Earlier, Bloomberg had reported that both sides have increased their military presence in the region. The US is deploying a second aircraft carrier to the region amid warnings of a possible strike on Iran if talks — which could drag on for weeks — fail to produce a compromise.
The Revolutionary Guard is monitoring the strait continuously and plans to unveil additional equipment soon to boost its military capacities there, Navy Commander Alireza Tangsiri said, according to the semi-official Mehr news agency.
Also Read: Oil prices rise as Iran carries out naval drills ahead of US talks
(Edited by : Shoma Bhattacharjee)
