Dubbed ‘Task Force 59’, it will be the first-of-its-kind US naval group, covering vast areas in the Persian Gulf, the Gulf of Oman, the Red Sea and parts of the Indian Ocean.

Iran has started sending oil to a new terminal on the Sea of Oman through a pipeline that bypasses the Strait of Hormuz, Chief Executive of the National Iranian Oil Company Mehdi Karbasian says.

Hebrew-language media reports reveal that the owner of the stricken Israeli-owned ship MV Helios Ray is close to the head of Israel’s spy agency, Yossi Cohen.

South Korea has moved its naval unit operating near the Strait of Hormuz from the waterway "to foster a positive mood" ahead of negotiations with Iran, Yonhap news agency reports.

The Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) has opened a new naval base at Sirik, a coastal Iranian town east of the strategic Strait of Hormuz in the Persian Gulf.

The commander of the IRGC Navy warns the enemies that if they threaten Iran’s national interests, their teeth will be smashed and their bodies will be sent out of the Strait of Hormuz in Iranian coffins.

Iranian Army forces start large-scale naval maneuvers in the country’s southern waters, with extra-regional aircraft warned to stay away from the drill area.