Iran has threatened to retaliate, including by striking U.S. bases, if Washington launches an attack on the country.

Iran held annual military drills with Russia as a second American aircraft carrier drew closer to the Middle East.

Iran on Thursday held military drills with Russia amid escalating tensions with the United States, after President Trump gave the Middle Eastern country a 10-day timeline for the U.S. and Iran to strike a deal over the latter’s nuclear program.

Iran has been joined by Russia and China in deploying naval vessels for a joint live-fire exercise in the Strait of Hormuz, heightening regional tensions even as negotiators from Washington and Tehran met for diplomatic talks aimed at averting a military confrontation.

The Iranian naval drill and the arrival of the USS Gerald R. Ford aircraft carrier near the mouth of the Mediterranean Sea underscore the tensions between the nations.

Feb 18 (Reuters) - Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, in ⁠an ⁠interview made public on Wednesday, ⁠said that any new U.S. strike on Iran would have ​serious consequences and called for restraint to find a solution to enable Iran to pursue ‌a peaceful nuclear programme.

US-Iran tensions LIVE: US President Donald Trump launched a fresh threat on Tehran on Wednesday after mediatory talks between the two nations in Geneva. Trump said Iran would attract ‘bad things’ if it fails to strike a deal with Washington.

The latest threats come amid ratcheting tensions between the US and Iran despite second round of indirect nuclear talks.

Iran and Russia are set to hold joint naval drills in the Sea of Oman and northern Indian Ocean amid ongoing U.S.–Iran nuclear talks in Geneva, showcasing growing military cooperation. The exercises come just days after Iran conducted live-fire drills in the Strait of Hormuz,