Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) naval forces will conduct live-fire military exercises in the Strait of Hormuz on February 1 and 2.

The announcement comes against the backdrop of heightened tensions between Washington and Tehran, The Caspian Post reports, citing Iranian media.

On January 29, Iran warned it would deliver a “crushing response” to any attack, after Donald Trump said time was running out for reaching a nuclear agreement.

The U.S. and Iran have recently exchanged sharp warnings following protests in Iran that prompted Trump to threaten military action over what he described as the government’s violent crackdown. Tehran, in turn, accused Washington of fueling what it called “riots.”

Earlier this week, Mohammad Akbarzadeh, the political deputy of the IRGC naval forces, suggested the possible closure of the Strait of Hormuz - a vital maritime route through which around 20 percent of global oil shipments pass. Iran has issued similar threats in the past, though it has never acted on them.

Akbarzadeh said Iran maintains real-time intelligence across the Strait, both above and below the water’s surface, and stressed that the security of the strategic passage ultimately depends on Tehran’s decisions.

“We do not want the world economy to suffer,” he said, “but the Americans and their supporters will not benefit from a war they start.”