Iranian navy starts war games in the Gulf

Iran's navy started more than a week of war games in the Gulf on Thursday using small vessels carrying missile launchers and tactical submarines, state television reported.

The exercises are the latest in a series of manoeuvres staged by Iran's military in the Gulf region, where the United States has deployed a second aircraft carrier, a move widely seen as a warning to Tehran over its nuclear ambitions. State television said the war games staged by Iran's regular naval forces "Showed their defensive power for protecting the Persian Gulf". It said the manoeuvres would last until March 30. (Reuters)