US forces conducted live-fire military drills in the Persian Gulf at a moment of ongoing Washington threats to attack Iran over its nuclear program as well as ballistic missile arsenal. 

"Last week, Navy Sailors from USS Santa Barbara participated in the exercise Killer Tomato, a live-fire maritime gunnery exercise conducted in the Central Command’s area of responsibility and supported by an Air Force A-10 Thunderbolt II aircraft," US Central Command (CENTCOM) posted on X Sunday.

It continued, "The exercise provided realistic training to improve surface gunnery proficiency while reinforcing joint air-maritime integration, combat readiness, and deterrence across the region."

It's unclear why the US military only chose to reveal it Sunday, and not in real-time while the drills were actually being conducted. This was perhaps a security measure, to ensure no incidents or run-ins with Iranian forces, after previously an Iranian drone was shot down as it was said to be headed toward US warships.

As for use of the A-10 Thunderbolt, this long in service aircraft would assist in thwarting any small vessel threat or attack against American ships, as it is able to fly very low and take out craft with its powerful machine guns. It conducted low strafing runs as part of these latest Persian Gulf drills.

The futuristic-looking vessel featured in the US Navy's photos is the USS Santa Barbara, described by a defense journal as follows:

The vessel is one of the U.S. Navy’s high-speed, modular Independence-class littoral combat ships, designed for operations in contested coastal waters. USS Santa Barbara is capable of speeds exceeding 40 knots and has a range of around 4,300 nautical miles at cruising speed, allowing it to conduct extended patrols and rapid response missions across the region. It displaces more than 3,100 tonnes at full load and is powered by a combined diesel and gas turbine propulsion system driving four waterjets. It carries a core crew of around 40 personnel, with capacity for additional mission specialists depending on the role assigned.

Central Command's photo set from the war drills...

Since late January, American and Iranian forces have been holding dueling drills and war games in the region, in an effort to signal military readiness amid a tense showdown.

Ultimately it is Israel that is most alarmed by Iran's missile program, given Tel Aviv was on the direct receiving end during the June war - also said to involve hypersonic missiles sent.

CENTCOM has recently said that while Iran's military has a "right" to operation professionally in international waters, it must avoid any provocative or harassing behavior involving American vessels or forces. The two enemy sides are one small 'live fire' incident away from potentially sparking major conflict.