In the context of Iran-US tensions, the Iranian army conducted a drill to destroy the aircraft carrier - using a fake medicine. The fake warship was attacked from the air and surrounded by high-speed ships.
The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) conducted the final round of a joint exercise called the "Grand Prophet" on July 28. The exercise was held in Hormozgan province in southern Iran and the western Hormuz Strait.
One of the highlights of the exercise was the attack on a fake aircraft carrier, built similar to the US Navy's Nimitz-class aircraft carrier, complete with fighter jets moored on the deck.
Iranian semi-military forces fired a missile from an attack helicopter and fired a special forces unit onto the ship, while high-speed ships were running around it. The video was provided to Iranian media.
The exercise also includes deployment of anti-ship special forces, missile test launches, and air defense exercises.
Iran has previously conducted a similar drill with the real-sized aircraft carrier model in 2015.
Tensions between Iran and the US remain high as the Trump administration continues to pursue a campaign to put maximum pressure on Iran. The Iranian government says the economic losses it has suffered have not undermined its determination to fight back against Washington, even by military means.
The Hormuz Strait, where the drill took place, is an important sea route for oil transportation globally. Iran has threatened to blockade the Hormuz Strait if the US conducts a military attack against the country.
The US Navy criticized Iran's drills in the Persian Gulf and the Strait, saying it was closely monitoring the situation. "We know about Iran's exercise involving an attack on a ship similar to an US aircraft carrier," US 5th fleet spokesman Rebecca Rebarich told AFP, calling it an Iranian effort to "threaten and exert pressure", but did not specify who or for what purpose it was "threatening and exerting pressure".
