Iran held its first major military exercise this week since the end of its 12-day war with Israel, as the Islamic republic looks to project strength to the international community. 

Iranian naval vessels successfully struck targets in the Indian Ocean and the Gulf of Oman with cruise missiles on Thursday. The exercise, dubbed “Sustainable Power 1404,” included short-range Nasir missiles, medium-range Qader missiles and long-range Qadir missiles, according to state-affiliated media.

The Nasir and Qadir missiles were fired from the IRIS Genaveh missile launching frigate and the IRIS Sabalan destroyer, while Qader missiles were fired from coastal platforms.

Iran’s navy saw little combat during the Islamic republic’s 12-day war with Israel in June and remains the most intact service in the country. Many of Iran’s top military leaders were killed during the war via precision missile strikes by Israeli forces. Iran’s missile defense capabilities were also severely weakened, according to reports. 

Since the war, Iran’s navy, which has approximately 18,000 personnel, has maintained regular patrols of the Caspian Sea, the Gulf of Oman, and the Indian Ocean. The Iranian navy is known to seize Western vessels traveling near those waters and often closely follows U.S. Naval vessels in the region. 

Thursday’s exercise follows consistently aggressive rhetoric from Tehran concerning its readiness for war. Earlier this week, a top adviser to Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei said that Iran is ready at any moment for a new war with Israel. 

“We must be prepared for the worst-case scenario. There is no protocol between us and Israel and the U.S. There is no cease-fire,” military adviser Yahya Rahim Safavi said. “A new war with Israel could break out at any moment. We must be strong and prepared.”

Meanwhile, Iran is facing new sanctions after the E3 countries — France, Germany and the U.K. — threatened to trigger the “snapback” mechanism of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said this week that Iran and its allies have discussed options for enduring any new sanctions.

• Vaughn Cockayne can be reached at vcockayne@washingtontimes.com.