Iran test-fired a short-range anti-ship missile in the Strait of Hormuz during last week’s naval drills, a US official revealed on Friday. Washington believes that the military maneuvers were aimed at sending a message as the United States reimposes sanctions on Tehran, he added. US President Donald Trump said that his country would re-impose sanctions against Iran during his announcement in May of his pullout from the 2015 nuclear deal. The first phase of the sanctions took effect on Tuesday, while the second phase will take effect on November 4. Iran’s Revolutionary Guards confirmed on Sunday it had held war games in the Gulf over the past several days. “It’s pretty clear to us that they were trying to use that exercise to send a message to us that as we approach this period of the sanctions here, that they had some capabilities,” US Army General Joseph Votel, head of the US military’s Central Command, said earlier this week. He said the US military was keenly aware of Iran’s military activities. “We are aware of what’s going on, and we remain ready to protect ourselves as we pursue our objectives of freedom of navigation and the freedom of commerce in international waters,” Votel stressed.