The Saudi armed forces began extensive military exercises in the Persian Gulf region in early October. According to Rear Adm. Majed bin Hazza'a Al-Qahtani, the commander in charge of the drills, the aim of the “Gulf Shield 1” exercises that took place in the Persian Gulf, Strait of Hormuz and Sea of Oman was to “increase the combat readiness of the marine forces and special security forces of Saudi Arabia for aerial and naval combat, bomb dispersal, cyberattacks and other possible military actions against Saudi Arabia.”


The entire Saudi fleet in the Persian Gulf, including frigates, logistical vessels, amphibious ships, air-sea units, special forces, marine and anti-mine units, took part in the exercise, which was the first Saudi Arabia had conducted on such a scale. Riyadh showcased all of its capabilities in Gulf Shield 1, with Western naval forces based in the region, which are in charge of safeguarding Saudi waters in the Red Sea, taking part.

As soon as the war games started, the naval force of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), which is responsible for maintaining Iranian security in the Persian Gulf, issued a stern official statement: “This announcement is for all the vessels, those belonging to Saudi Arabia’s naval force and those which belong to other naval forces that are participating in the military exercise announced by Saudi Arabia. The naval force of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps believes that at its core, this military exercise is a clear case of creating tension and reducing security in the Persian Gulf. Therefore, military vessels participating in this exercise are not allowed to enter the Islamic Republic’s territorial waters. Do not come near the territorial waters of Iran and do not even cruise in international waters that are in the vicinity of Islamic Republic’s territorial waters, since we will not consider such a passage to be ‘innocent passage.’”

The IRGC’s statement was harsh and full of rage. On the other side, the way the exercise was conducted, the propaganda videos highlighting its aims and goals — not to mention the very composition of the drills — targeted Iran in a tough and threatening way. Saudi naval forces had never before conducted such a massive military exercise in the region. Iranian officials — who have warily witnessed the increase in Saudi Arabia’s military operations in the region, particularly in Yemen — are naturally concerned about the military activities of their southern neighbors.
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