Cairo, February 20: Amid fears of American attacks, Iran has commenced military exercises in collaboration with Russia. The naval forces of both countries have entered the Gulf of Oman and the northern Indian Ocean to conduct joint drills.

According to a report from the Iranian military’s website cited by the Xinhua news agency, the Iranian army, along with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and Russian special operation teams, executed an operation to rescue a hijacked ship during the exercises.

The report indicated that the drill involved Iran’s Alvand destroyer, missile-launching warships, helicopters, landing crafts, special operation teams, and combat speedboats. This exercise follows an IRGC drill earlier this week in the Strait of Hormuz, which temporarily closed the strategic waterway.

Meanwhile, US President Donald Trump stated on Thursday that Iran has 10 to 15 days to negotiate a deal regarding its nuclear program, warning that dire consequences would follow if the deadline is not met. Trump expressed, “I think that will be quite a bit of time,” while speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One.

Last week, Trump ordered the deployment of the USS Gerald R. Ford, the world’s largest aircraft carrier, to the Middle East, reinforcing the presence of the USS Abraham Lincoln and its accompanying guided-missile destroyers in the region.

In recent days, there has been an increase in US air and naval power in the Middle East. CNN reported that the US military is prepared to strike Iran within the week. Another US news outlet, Axios, indicated on Tuesday that a Trump advisor estimated a 90% likelihood of an attack within weeks if nuclear talks with Iran fail.

According to Axios, large-scale operations could be conducted for weeks, potentially in collaboration with Israel, targeting Iran’s nuclear and missile programs and posing a significant threat to Tehran’s leadership.

On Thursday night, The Wall Street Journal reported, citing sources familiar with the matter, that Trump is considering initial limited military strikes against Iran to compel compliance with nuclear deal demands. The report stated that if approval for initial strikes is granted, they could occur within days, targeting certain military and government sites.

Related