RIYADH // Saudi Arabia is conducting live-fire drills during war games under way in the Arabian Gulf and Strait of Hormuz.
Exercise Gulf Shield 1 has begun with naval ships, aircraft, marines and “special units”, according to the Saudi Press Agency.
The manoeuvres are also taking place in the Sea of Oman.
Navy Brigadier Majid Al Qahtani said the exercises include “shooting of live ammunition” as part of the effort to improve combat readiness and protect the kingdom’s waters “against any possible aggression”.
The exercises angered Iran’s Revolutionary Guards, which warned Saudi naval vessels taking part in military exercises in the Arabian Gulf on Wednesday not to get close to Iranian waters.
Iranian forces regularly carry out manoeuvres of their own, and are often criticised by Arab Gulf countries for intimidating shipping in the Strait with its military vessels.
The United States said in August and September that the Iran Guards ships “harassed” US warships several times in the Gulf in incidents that Washington described as “unsafe and unprofessional.”
Last week, an Iranian commander said two of Tehran’s warships held manoeuvres with an Italian frigate in the Strait of Hormuz after it made an Iranian port call.
The Royal Saudi Navy says the latest exercise is part of a series.
A Saudi-led coalition, including naval forces, operates a blockade of Yemen as part of efforts to prevent weapons reaching Shiite Houthi rebels and their allies there who have overrun much of the country.
The United States and Saudi Arabia accuse Iran of sending missiles and other weapons to the rebels, but Tehran denies the charge.
GCC countries ship most of their exports through the Hormuz, which Iran has threatened to close during past rounds of tension.
Saudi Arabia’s navy consisted of 13,500 men, including 3,000 marines and a helicopter wing, according to The Military Balance 2015, issued by the International Institute for Strategic Studies.
* Agence France-Presse
