U.S. Officials: Iran Tested a Short-Range Missile During Recent Naval Maneuvers

An American official told Reuters on Friday, August 9, that Iran tested an anti-ship short-range missile during its recent naval maneuvers in the Strait of Hormuz. Previously, a senior U.S. military commander stated that Iran's naval exercise, which involved over a hundred boats around the Strait of Hormuz, was a message to the United States in response to the resumption of economic sanctions against the Islamic Republic. The naval exercise of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) reportedly began on August 2, and an IRGC official announced its conclusion on August 5. Fox News also reported, citing three U.S. officials, that Iran tested a ballistic missile for the first time in a year. Fox News stated that the short-range ballistic missile, Fateh 110, was tested during the IRGC's naval maneuvers in the waters of the Persian Gulf and the Strait of Hormuz. Fox News added that although it was initially the U.S. military that announced the naval exercise, no reports had been published about the IRGC's missile launch from its base near the port of Jask. The report further noted that the missile launch was tracked by U.S. spy satellites. U.S. officials told Fox News that the anti-ship missile Fateh 110 traveled over 100 miles and landed in a desert area of Iran. An unnamed U.S. official told Fox that this was a shore-to-shore missile. The official added that at the time of the missile test by the IRGC, no U.S. vessels were present nearby or in danger. Fox News reported that a Pentagon spokesperson declined to comment on the ballistic missile test by Iran. According to the report, Iran last conducted similar missile tests in March 2017. General Joseph Votel, head of U.S. Central Command, told reporters on Wednesday that Iran's naval exercise aimed to showcase its military capabilities following threats from the Iranian president to close the Strait of Hormuz. The head of U.S. Central Command added that Iran has the capability to deploy naval mines and explosive boats in this busy waterway, but the United States and its allies have trained and are prepared to counter such possibilities. While this naval exercise was held in the Persian Gulf, the Strait of Hormuz, and the Sea of Oman, Iranian media did not report its commencement, and it was the American television network CNN that reported the military exercise based on U.S. military officials' statements. However, Iranian media reported the conclusion of this naval exercise, citing the IRGC spokesperson. Ramadan Sharif, spokesperson and head of public relations for the IRGC, announced the end of the naval exercise "Eghtedar" on August 5, stating, "This exercise was conducted to monitor and ensure the security of the international waterway and as part of the IRGC's annual exercise schedule." Qassem Soleimani, commander of the IRGC Quds Force, and previously Hassan Rouhani, the president of Iran, had alluded to actions by Iran in response to the renewed U.S. sanctions, which were interpreted as potential moves to close the Strait of Hormuz and even the Bab el-Mandeb Strait in the Red Sea.