Iranian soldiers carry out a military exercise in a coastal area of Sistan and Baluchestan province, near the Strait of Hormuz. The war games have started less than a month before Iran is set to resume nuclear talks with western powers.
The military exercises involve the army, air force and navy and are taking place in an area of more than one million square kilometres to the east of the Strait of Hormuz, Iran's state TV reported.
The war games, known as Zolfaghar-1400, are aimed at “improving readiness in confronting foreign threats and any possible invasion", state TV reported.
The drills come amid heightened tension between Tehran and Washington, which withdrew from the 2015 nuclear deal during Donald Trump's term as president. After months of delays, the US, EU and Iran have announced that indirect talks to revive the accord will resume on November 29 in Vienna, Austria.
The nuclear deal offered Iran economic incentives in exchange for limits on its nuclear programme. The US withdrew from the agreement in 2018 and restored sanctions on Iran.
But last week US officials said Iran seized a Vietnamese-flagged oil tanker in the Gulf of Oman last month and was still holding the vessel in its port. About 20 per cent of all oil shipping passes through the Strait of Hormuz to the Gulf of Oman and Indian Ocean.
Iranian troops take part in the war games. It is not yet known how long the exercises will last.
An Iranian paratrooper descends with the national flag during military exercises near the Gulf of Oman.
Commandos and airborne infantry have been sent to take part in the annual exercises, state TV reported.
Iranian soldiers carry out an exercise near a Sikorsky SH-3 Sea King transport helicopter and hovercraft.
Fighter jets, submarines and drones are also expected to take part in the drills.
An Iranian drone flies above the Gulf of Oman during Iran's latest war games.
Profile
Company: Justmop.com
Date started: December 2015
Founders: Kerem Kuyucu and Cagatay Ozcan
Sector: Technology and home services
Based: Jumeirah Lake Towers, Dubai
Size: 55 employees and 100,000 cleaning requests a month
Funding: The company’s investors include Collective Spark, Faith Capital Holding, Oak Capital, VentureFriends, and 500 Startups.
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
How to watch Ireland v Pakistan in UAE
When: The one-off Test starts on Friday, May 11
What time: Each day’s play is scheduled to start at 2pm UAE time.
TV: The match will be broadcast on OSN Sports Cricket HD. Subscribers to the channel can also stream the action live on OSN Play.
yallacompare profile
Date of launch: 2014
Founder: Jon Richards, founder and chief executive; Samer Chebab, co-founder and chief operating officer, and Jonathan Rawlings, co-founder and chief financial officer
Based: Media City, Dubai
Sector: Financial services
Size: 120 employees
Investors: 2014: $500,000 in a seed round led by Mulverhill Associates; 2015: $3m in Series A funding led by STC Ventures (managed by Iris Capital), Wamda and Dubai Silicon Oasis Authority; 2019: $8m in Series B funding with the same investors as Series A along with Precinct Partners, Saned and Argo Ventures (the VC arm of multinational insurer Argo Group)
Results
Stage Two:
1. Mark Cavendish (GBR) QuickStep-AlphaVinyl 04:20:45
2. Jasper Philipsen (BEL) Alpecin-Fenix
3. Pascal Ackermann (GER) UAE Team Emirates
4. Olav Kooij (NED) Jumbo-Visma
5. Arnaud Demare (FRA) Groupama-FDJ
General Classification:
1. Jasper Philipsen (BEL) Alpecin-Fenix 09:03:03
2. Dmitry Strakhov (RUS) Gazprom-Rusvelo 00:00:04
3. Mark Cavendish (GBR) QuickStep-AlphaVinyl 00:00:06
4. Sam Bennett (IRL) Bora-Hansgrohe 00:00:10
5. Pascal Ackermann (GER) UAE Team Emirates 00:00:12
The specs
Engine: 4.0-litre V8 twin-turbocharged and three electric motors
Power: Combined output 920hp
Torque: 730Nm at 4,000-7,000rpm
Transmission: 8-speed dual-clutch automatic
Fuel consumption: 11.2L/100km
On sale: Now, deliveries expected later in 2025
Price: expected to start at Dh1,432,000
Profile of Whizkey
Date founded: 04 November 2017
Founders: Abdulaziz AlBlooshi and Harsh Hirani
Based: Dubai, UAE
Number of employees: 10
Sector: AI, software
Cashflow: Dh2.5 Million
Funding stage: Series A
