evidence: The manoeuvres, held near Abu Musa island but also around Greater and Lesser Tunbs, come two weeks after the United States boosted its military presence in the Gulf. The additional firepower included F-35 fighter jets and a marine expeditionary force that usually consists of 2,500 marines and at least two warships. [...] Sign up to get the latest insights and analysis on Israel-Palestine, alongside Turkey Unpacked and other MEE newsletters "The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps naval exercise started Wednesday morning for the defence of the Iranian islands in the Persian Gulf," the official IRNA news agency reported, citing IRGC navy commander Ali Ozmaee as saying that the drills "were held in Abu Musa island and Greater and Lesser Tunb". [...] Tehran says the islands have been part of successive Persian empires since antiquity and claims that a 1971 memorandum of understanding between the previous government of the Shah of Iran and the ruler of Sharjah, one of the UAE's seven emirates, justifies its military presence on the islands.