US Threatens Strikes as Iran‑Russia Hold Naval Drills
Get the Geopolitics newsletter
Daily geopolitics — wars, elections, sanctions, the diplomatic moves that move markets. Free.
- Karoline Leavitt warned Iran that making a deal would be wise after Geneva talks ended without a breakthrough.
- Trump threatened to use a Chagos Islands airbase if Iran refuses a deal and ordered a second aircraft carrier to the Gulf region.
- Iran and Russia announced joint naval drills in the Sea of Oman, described by Rear Admiral Hassan Maqsoudlou as a message of peace and a deterrent to unilateral action.
- USS Abraham Lincoln carrier group was positioned about 700 km from Iran’s coast, and a second carrier group is slated to be in place by mid‑March, according to senior U.S. officials.
- IRGC conducted war games in the Strait of Hormuz and issued a notice for rocket launches, signaling heightened military readiness.
- Sergey Lavrov warned that a U.S. strike would have serious consequences and could undermine recent diplomatic improvements in the region.
- Marco Rubio is scheduled to meet Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to discuss Iran, underscoring coordination with Israel on the issue.
Why it matters: The U.S. military buildup and Iran’s threats to close the Strait of Hormuz intensify the risk of a regional war, putting Gulf oil exporters and global energy markets at stake.
