This show of force is widely seen as a calculated component of Tehran's foreign policy. According to a recent analysis by Al Monitor, with its missile drills and harsh rhetoric, Tehran is doubling down on deterrence to warn the United States and Israel against contemplating military action. The strategy appears designed to strengthen Iran's negotiating position by demonstrating its capacity to retaliate against any perceived aggression, ensuring that diplomatic pressure does not go unanswered.
The two-day naval exercise, dubbed "Sustainable Power 1404," featured the test-firing of three domestically produced anti-ship cruise missiles: the long-range Qadir, the medium-range Qader, and the short-range Nasir. State media reported that all projectiles, launched from destroyers and missile vessels, successfully struck their targets, demonstrating a layered defense capability designed to counter superior naval forces. The drills were paralleled by an unannounced IRGC exercise that temporarily closed western airspace, signaling readiness against surprise aerial incursions. This military posturing was reinforced by stern warnings from commanders, with one vowing a "harsh slap" against any "adventurism."
While missiles were being launched, diplomatic channels were fraught with tension. In a tense joint call with his British, French, and German counterparts, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi vehemently rejected their authority to trigger the UN's "snapback" mechanism, which would reimpose all pre-2015 sanctions. Araghchi warned of unspecified "consequences" if the European powers proceed, with a deadline for their decision looming in less than a week. Simultaneously, talks with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) in Vienna have seen Iran lay out "new conditions" that severely restrict the agency's access to monitoring.
This approach reflects Iran's dual-track policy: military escalation to deter pressure, coupled with diplomatic engagement strictly on its own terms. However, the gambit carries immense risks, including the potential for military miscalculation in the tense Persian Gulf and the certainty of more profound economic isolation should UN sanctions be reimposed. With hard-liners in Tehran rejecting calls for compromise on uranium enrichment, the nation is bracing for the fallout. The defiant mood was captured by Araghchi, who told state media this week, "Sometimes diplomacy is even costlier than war," suggesting Tehran would choose conflict over a negotiation that ends in surrender."
Photo: The source, Al Monitor