Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps Navy launched the Sayyad 3-G naval air defense missile during exercises in the Strait of Hormuz as U.S. naval forces build up in the Gulf.

Iranian state media reported the partial closure of the Strait of Hormuz on Tuesday for military drills in the waterway.

U.S. President Donald Trump, who scrapped an earlier nuclear agreement with Iran during his first term, has repeatedly threatened to use force to compel Iran to agree to constrain its nuclear program. Iran has said it would respond with an attack of its own. Trump has also threatened Iran over the killing of protesters.

Defense expert Cameron Chell called Iran's military moves a "calculated escalation" as U.S. MQ-9 Reaper drones with strike capabilities were reportedly spotted in the region.

DUBAI, Feb 17 (Reuters) - Parts of the Strait of Hormuz will close for a few hours on Tuesday due to 'security precautions' for shipping safety, semi-official Fars news agency reported, as the Revolutionary Guards conduct military drills in the waterway.

Iran closes key Strait of Hormuz shipping route after ayatollah threatens to sink US warships - The strategic waterway has not been shut since the 1980s. The move comes amid ongoing tensions with the

The move came amid heightened US military deployments in West Asia, open threats of force from Washington, and domestic unrest inside Iran following a violent crackdown on protests.

Iran shut down the Strait of Hormuz for a few hours on Tuesday, Iranian state media reported, without making clear whether the waterway, one of the world's most vital oil export routes, had fully reopened.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi arrived in Geneva for nuclear talks as Iran's Revolutionary Guard Corps conducted military exercises Monday.