Iran Plans Live-Fire Drill in Strait of Hormuz; US Warns Against Unsafe Actions

• Iran announced a live-fire military drill in the Strait of Hormuz for Sunday and Monday, a critical global energy trade artery.
• The US military's Central Command warned Iran against "unsafe and unprofessional behavior" near American forces or commercial vessels, citing risks of collision and escalation.
• The Strait of Hormuz, only 33 km wide at its narrowest, is an international waterway through which about one-fifth of the world's oil supply passes, primarily bound for Asian markets.
• The planned drill's coordinates suggest it could impact the Traffic Separation Scheme, a key shipping lane for vessels entering and exiting the Persian Gulf.
• Regional tensions remain high, with the USS Abraham Lincoln carrier group deployed in the Arabian Sea and past threats exchanged between the US and Iran.

Why It Matters: Iran's live-fire drill in the Strait of Hormuz raises regional tensions, prompting a US warning against unsafe actions.