Iran has launched large-scale wargames in the Strait of Hormuz just one day before nuclear negotiations with the United States.
The narrow waterway is critical for global oil supplies - and Tehran has warned it could shut it entirely if Washington launches an attack, threatening chaos for international markets.
The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) is conducting the drills to prepare for "potential security and military threats", Iranian state TV said on Monday.
In footage from the wargames, senior Iranian military officials can be seen overseeing missile strikes, explosions and soldiers on a mock battlefield.
Further clips show Iranian rocket launchers taking down drones and ships making their way through the strait.
"We used weapons on these islands that have very high accuracy," IRGC chief Mohamed Pakpour said in one video.
The drills follow a series of threats and military manoeuvres from Donald Trump, whose ships are heading for Iran.
Mr Trump has backed regime change in a bid to stop Tehran developing nuclear weapons - which it claims it is not doing.
"I'll be involved in those talks, indirectly. And they'll be very important," he said aboard Air Force One on Monday.
"I don't think they want the consequences of not making a deal," the President said.
The IRGC is conducting the drills to prepare for 'potential security and military threats'
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PICTURED: Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps fighters stand in formation at an exercise in southern Iran
|REUTERS
Right now, the US is deploying a second aircraft carrier to the Middle East, raising fears of a lengthy conflict.
The USS Gerald R Ford is heading to join the USS Abraham Lincoln already stationed in the region.
And just last week, American forces withdrew from two bases in eastern Syria, which some have taken to mean the US may be bracing for Iranian ballistic missile strikes in retaliation for an attack.
Arab Gulf states, which sit just across the water from Iran, have urged Washington to reach an agreement with Tehran.
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Iran showed off its rocket launchers as part of the drills
|REUTERS
Iranian ships were seen in the Strait of Hormuz just one day before the talks
|REUTERS
Asked on Friday about his confidence in the talks, Mr Trump said: "I think they'll be successful and if they're not, it's going to be a bad day for Iran. Very bad."
When questioned about regime change, he replied: "Seems like that would be the best thing that could happen. For 47 years, they've been talking and talking and talking. In the meantime, we've lost a lot of lives while they talk."
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi arrived in Switzerland on Sunday for talks with American negotiators Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner.
"I am in Geneva with real ideas to achieve a fair and equitable deal. What is not on the table: submission before threats," Araghchi said.
The stakes are higher for the Iranians than during previous negotiations last year.
'I don't think they want the consequences of not making a deal,' Donald Trump warned
|REUTERS
In January, the regime violently crushed nationwide protests of unprecedented scale, killing thousands.
Iranian officials recognise that any future American and Israeli military action could now look to overthrow the Ayatollah.
Trump had pledged to support the protesters but was dissuaded by Arab allies and Israel, who were not ready for war.
Previous talks collapsed and led to a 12-day Israeli and American bombing campaign that severely damaged Iran's nuclear facilities.
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