Iran held major military drills in the Gulf on Friday, state media reported. The exercises, which included naval, air and ground forces, were held at the Strait of Hormuz — a key waterway through which 25% of the world's oil passes and about a third of global liquified natural gas.

Admiral Habibollah Sayyari told the official IRNA news agency that the drills, codenamed Zolfaghar-1401, also involved submarines and drones, and focused on "practicing information gathering operations against attacking forces, as well as reconnaissance."

Iran's military regularly holds drills in the strait, which lies between the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman, in part to deter any US and Western naval presence there. Tense standoffs have erupted in the past between Western militaries and shipping companies and Iranian vessels over oil deliveries and sanctions.

Sayyari told state TV that foreign forces must leave the area "so that regional countries can establish stability and peace in their neighborhood." 

The TV report also said the exercises were meant to deter "any possible invasion."

Ties between Iran and the West have turned even colder since mid-September, when the death of a Kurdish woman in police custody sparked nationwide protests against the regime in Tehran, particularly in terms of women's rights. Western nations and global bodies have condemned Iran's violent clampdown on the protests. The crackdown has left hundreds of protesters dead in clashes with security services, and several arrested and sentenced to death.

es/sms (AP, Reuters)