Iran moved Sunday to tamp down fears of an imminent military flashpoint in the Strait of Hormuz, denying reports that it planned live-fire naval exercises in the strategic waterway. On Friday, the U.S. military publicly warned Tehran against actions that could endanger commercial shipping or trigger escalation.

An Iranian official told Reuters there were no plans for the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps to conduct drills in the strait this week, pushing back on a report by state-run Press TV that said the Guard’s naval forces would hold exercises on Sunday and Monday.

“There was no plan for the Guards to hold military exercises there and there was no official announcement about it,” the official said, calling the reports “wrong.”

The denial came after U.S. Central Command issued an unusually pointed statement on Friday urging the IRGC to avoid “unnecessary risk” in one of the world’s most sensitive maritime chokepoints.

“The Strait of Hormuz is an international sea passage and an essential trade corridor that supports regional economic prosperity,” CENTCOM said, warning that unsafe or unprofessional conduct could raise the risk of collision, escalation and broader destabilization.

The U.S. military said it would not tolerate behavior it considers dangerous, including close approaches by high-speed boats, low-altitude overflights of U.S. vessels, or weapons trained on American forces. The U.S. currently has a heavy presence in the region, including six destroyers, an aircraft carrier and three littoral combat ships.

Both sides have been hinting at a diplomatic off-ramp. Trump told reporters Saturday that Iran was “seriously talking” with Washington, hours after Tehran’s top security official, Ali Larijani, said arrangements for negotiations were underway. Trump said he hoped talks could yield an agreement acceptable to both sides, including assurances that Iran would not pursue nuclear weapons.

Iran has said it is open to what it calls “fair” negotiations, provided they do not seek to limit its defensive capabilities.

(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)