DUBAI - Iran is holding a military drill in the north of the country, Mehr news agency reported on Tuesday, with the region bracing for Tehran's avowed retaliation against Israel over the killing of Hamas chief Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran last month.

       The drill was taking place on Tuesday evening from 7:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. local time (1600 to 1700 GMT) in Iran's Gilan province on the Caspian Sea. It was designed to boost the defensive readiness of the army's naval forces, Mehr cited a local official as saying.

       It is Iran's second reported military drill in three days. Iran has vowed to retaliate against Israel after the assassination of Haniyeh on July 31 in Tehran.

       Iran blamed Israel for the killing. Israel has not claimed responsibility. The killing has triggered threats of revenge by Iran against Israel, which is fighting Hamas militants in Gaza, raising fears of a wider Middle East war. REUTERS