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.
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Our legal columnist
Name: Yousef Al Bahar
Advocate at Al Bahar & Associate Advocates and Legal Consultants, established in 1994
Education: Mr Al Bahar was born in 1979 and graduated in 2008 from the Judicial Institute. He took after his father, who was one of the first Emirati lawyers
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Match info
Athletic Bilbao 0
Real Madrid 1 (Ramos 73' pen)
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.
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Although similar in its appearance, the concept of a fractional title deed is unlike that of a timeshare, which usually involves multiple investors buying “time” in a property whereby the owner has the right to occupation for a specified period of time in any year, as opposed to the actual real estate, said John Peacock, Head of Indirect Tax and Conveyancing, BSA Ahmad Bin Hezeem & Associates, a law firm.
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Marital status: Separated with two young daughters
Education: Master's degree from American Univeristy of Cairo
Favourite book: That Is How They Defeat Despair by Salwa Aladian
Favourite Motto: Their happiness is your happiness
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At a glance
Global events: Much of the UK’s economic woes were blamed on “increased global uncertainty”, which can be interpreted as the economic impact of the Ukraine war and the uncertainty over Donald Trump’s tariffs.
Growth forecasts: Cut for 2025 from 2 per cent to 1 per cent. The OBR watchdog also estimated inflation will average 3.2 per cent this year
Welfare: Universal credit health element cut by 50 per cent and frozen for new claimants, building on cuts to the disability and incapacity bill set out earlier this month
Spending cuts: Overall day-to day-spending across government cut by £6.1bn in 2029-30
Tax evasion: Steps to crack down on tax evasion to raise “£6.5bn per year” for the public purse
Defence: New high-tech weaponry, upgrading HM Naval Base in Portsmouth
Housing: Housebuilding to reach its highest in 40 years, with planning reforms helping generate an extra £3.4bn for public finances
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"They see their tomorrows slipping out of their reach. And though it seems to them that everything outside this reality is heaven, yet they do not want to go to that heaven. They stay, because they are afflicted with hope." - Mahmoud Darwish, to attendees of the Palestine Festival of Literature, 2008
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