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3. Iran's Guards hold military drills in capital as ceasefire teeters

Iran's Revolutionary Guards held military exercises in the capital, Tehran, to prepare for any confrontation, state media reported Tuesday, after US President Donald Trump warned a ceasefire in the Middle East war was on the brink of collapse.

The drills involved the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps or IRGC, the ideological arm of Iran's military, as well as the Basij, a paramilitary force affiliated with the Guards, according to state TV.

"Enhancing combat capability to confront any movement of the American-Zionist enemy was one of the goals and scenarios implemented in this drill, which was successfully carried out," Brigadier General Hassan Hassanzadeh, commander of the Tehran Revolutionary Guards, was quoted as saying by state TV.

The war, which started more than two months ago with US-Israeli strikes on Iran, spread across the Middle East with Iran attacking neighboring Arab countries and their civilian populations. Iran has choked off the Strait of Hormuz—a vital route out of the Gulf for oil, gas, and fertilizer—seeking to wield economic leverage over the United States and its allies and affecting millions economically across the globe.

The U.S. Navy, meanwhile, is blockading Iran's ports as part of Operation Project Freedom, at times disabling or diverting ships heading to and from them.