While performing a series of military drills, Iran has reportedly staged a mock attack on a United States aircraft carrier on the strategic stretches of water in the Gulf.
The Islamic Revolutionary Guard staged a display of naval and air exercises near the Strait of Hormuz, through which one fifth of the world's oil supply passes, reported Sky News.
A video of the mock drill showed the deployment of fast boats and missiles against a replica of an American aircraft carrier, something that had never been seen before, the report said.
The unit's navy Chief Admiral Ali Fadavi remarked that a direct hit on an American aircraft carrier would cause huge secondary explosions since they are very big ammunition depots.
Referring to the U.S., Chief Commander General Mohammed Ali Jafari said that the drills, called "Great Prophet 9," were meant to send a "message" to "extraterritorial enemies."
The television footage also panned across a banner that read, "If the Americans are ready to be buried at the bottom of the waters of the Persian Gulf, so be it."
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However, a spokesman for the U.S. Navy's 5th Fleet in Bahrain downplayed the threat by saying that the he was confident that America's naval forces were capable of defending themselves.
Commander Kevin Stephens added that it seemed like they attempted to destroy "the equivalent of a Hollywood movie set."
The news came as the U.S. is engaged in negotiations with Iran to reach an agreement on its nuclear program, along with Britain, France, China, Russia and Germany.
Iran has consistently maintained that its nuclear program is for purely peaceful and civilian purposes.
However the P5+1 nations including, the U.S., the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Russia and China, accuse Iran of building nuclear weapons. They want Tehran to curb its nuclear ambitions in return for the lifting of United Nations sanctions.
Talks are due to resume in Geneva next week.
