The US Central Command (CENTCOM) released a statement urging Iran to keep its planned naval exercise safe and professional on Friday.
Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) will be conducting a live-fire naval exercise in the Strait of Hormuz, scheduled to begin on Sunday and to last two days, Iran announced on Thursday.
CENTCOM's statement, while acknowledging "Iran’s right to operate professionally in international airspace and waters," warned against any unsafe or threatening behaviors conducted in the international sea passage.
Threatening behavior will not be tolerated
CENTCOM emphasized that any action that poses a danger to US personnel, ships, or aircraft would not be tolerated, including overflight of US military vessels engaged in flight operations, low altitude or armed overflight of US military assets with unclear intentions, high-speed boat approaches towards US military vessels, or weapons trained at US forces.
"The US military has the most highly trained and lethal force in the world and will continue to operate with the highest levels of professionalism and adhere to international norms. Iran’s IRGC must do the same," the statement concluded.
Iran accuses the west of provoking protestors
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian stated on Saturday that US President Donald Trump, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, and European nations have exacerbated tensions during the recent protests in the country and have "provoked" the people.
In response to the designation of the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps as a terrorist organization, Abbas Araghchi, Iran’s foreign minister, told CNN that Iran may take steps through parliament to place European armies on its own terror list.
He emphasized that Europe's actions would not help reduce regional tensions, asserting that the nations genuinely working towards the welfare and stability of the region are the regional states themselves, not Europe, which he claims is only fueling the conflict.
Araghchi added that Europeans have lost something significant by acting against the IRGC. He also claimed that the European Union's influence in the region is diminishing and said that European nations do not seem to be considering their own interests.