Iran temporarily shut part of the key Strait of Hormuz as tensions with the US continue to mount. Tuesday’s move is the first time the Middle Eastern waterway has been closed since the 1980s, and came as Iran’s ayatollah issued fresh threats against the United States.

The move came amid heightened US military deployments in West Asia, open threats of force from Washington, and domestic unrest inside Iran following a violent crackdown on protests.

The day before nuclear talks were set to resume, Iran conducted live drills in the Strait of Hormuz, a strategic waterway for oil and gas shipments.

Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps launch massive military drill in Hormuz Strait and Persian Gulf - Anadolu Ajansı