STORY: Iran held a military drill Monday in the Strait of Hormuz, a vital waterway for global oil shipments.
Dubbed "Smart Control of the Strait of Hormuz", the exercise aims to test Iran's readiness in the face of "possible security and military threats."
The drill came a day before talks between Washington and Tehran aimed at resolving their nuclear dispute.
The U.S. has ordered a second aircraft carrier group to the Middle East ahead of the meeting in Geneva, ramping up pressure.
Iran's foreign minister also met with the U.N. nuclear watchdog on Monday.
International Atomic Energy Agency head Rafael Grossi said on X that "in-depth technical discussions" were held.
While Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi said in a social media post that he was in Geneva to "achieve a fair and equitable deal."
He added that what is not on the table is submission before threats.
Washington, other Western states and Israel all believe that Iran's nuclear program is aimed at building atomic arms which Tehran denies.
The U.S. has also sought to expand the scope of talks to non-nuclear issues like Iran's missile stockpile.
Tehran has said it is only willing to discuss curbs on its nuclear program in exchange for sanctions relief, and won't accept a demand to end uranium enrichment.
U.S. President Donald Trump said Monday that he would play a role in the high-stakes talks:
"So I'll be involved in those talks indirectly and they'll be very important. We'll see what can happen. I think they want to make a deal. I don't think they want the consequences of not making a deal. They want to make a deal."
