Stay up to date with notifications from The Independent

Notifications can be managed in browser preferences.

Swipe for next article

Download our
Social Partner

Iran’s supreme leader issues threat to US aircraft carriers amid escalating tensions

Iran holds military drill in key oil strait on eve of US nuclear talks

Iran's Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, threatened to sink any American aircraft carriers in the Middle East, escalating tensions during ongoing nuclear talks in Geneva.
His warning coincided with the deployment of the USS Gerald R Ford to the region, joining the USS Abraham Lincoln, and Iran's live-fire naval drills in the Strait of Hormuz.
During these military exercises, Iran announced the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, a critical international waterway, in a show of strength.
Despite negotiations with U.S. envoys, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian affirmed that Tehran would never abandon its enriched uranium programme.
The heightened tensions follow a recent incident where U.S. forces shot down an Iranian drone near the USS Abraham Lincoln, amidst broader concerns from Gulf Arab nations about potential regional conflict.