U.S. says will continue to deploy warships in Persian Gulf despite Iranian threats
Pentagon U.S. ‘committed to security and stability of region’; State Department: Iran threats show economic sanctions begin to bite.
By Reuters and The Associated Press Tags: IranThe United States will continue to deploy its warships in the Gulf, a defense spokesman said on Tuesday after Iran threatened to take action if the U.S. Navy moves an aircraft carrier into the Gulf.
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The Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS John C. Stennis (CVN 74) transits the Strait of Hormuz, November 12, 2011. |
| Photo by: Reuters |
"These are regularly scheduled movements and in accordance with our long-standing commitments to the security and stability of the region and in support of ongoing operations," Commander Bill Speaks said in an emailed response to Reuters questions.
"The U.S. Navy operates under international maritime conventions to maintain a constant state of high vigilance in order to ensure the continued, safe flow of maritime traffic in waterways critical to global commerce," he said.
When asked later Tuesday if the U.S. intends to send naval reinforcements to the Gulf in response to Iranian talk of closing the Strait of Hormuz, Pentagon spokesperson George Little did not answer directly but said, "No one in this government seeks confrontation over the Strait of Hormuz. It's important to lower the temperature."
Also referring to Iranian threats on Tuesday, State Department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland said the U.S. saw "these threats from Tehran as just increasing evidence that the international pressure is beginning to bite."
"They are feeling increasingly isolated and they are trying to divert the attention of their own public from the difficulties inside Iran, including the economic difficulties as a result of sanctions," Nuland told a news briefing.
Earlier on Tuesday, Iran said it would take action if a U.S. aircraft carrier which left the area because of Iranian naval exercises returns to the Gulf. The state news agency IRNA quoted army chief Ataollah Salehi as saying that "Iran will not repeat its warning ... the enemy's carrier has been moved to the Sea of Oman because of our drill. I recommend and emphasize to the American carrier not to return to the Persian Gulf."
Iran completed 10 days of naval exercises in the Gulf on Monday, and said during the drills that if foreign powers imposed sanctions on its crude exports it could shut the Strait of Hormuz, through which 40 percent of the world's traded oil is shipped.
The U.S. Fifth Fleet, which is based in Bahrain, said it would not allow shipping to be disrupted in the strait.
Iran said on Monday it had successfully test-fired two long-range missiles during its naval drill, flexing its military muscle in the face of mounting Western pressure over its controversial nuclear program.
Iran also said it had no intention of closing the Strait of Hormuz but had carried out "mock" exercises on shutting the strategic waterway.
Read this article in Hebrew: ארה"ב דוחה את איומי איראן: נמשיך לשלוח ספינות למפרץ
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I bet US shows Iran's bluff
Go ahead you Iranian morons. This will be the shortest naval battle in world history. The Somali pirates are more of threat than your pathetic navy.
yes Israel and the lobby that push US for another war.
were president, he'd pul back he's such a p*ssy.
Smoke and mirrors, enjoy the next 4 years of distractions.
What else can one expect from America, a war hungry nation that always provokes and drags others into wars. America, a nation that can not survive unless it is involved in a war or inflicts misery and sufferig on others. America has no right being in the Persian Gulf. It is not American territory. What would America say if Iran had warships close to America. America needs to go home and leave this region. America is not welcomed in this region and should mind its own business.
Yep, it might take 20, maybe 30 minutes to utterly destroy the Iranian navy. LOL
Woose Pansies invite Threats & Dictates. Re-elect the Metro-Sexual.
What right do we have to be there again??
Yea.. good idea.. Sink their ship and start massive unrest and conflict or perhaps even WWIII all biased on lies and propaganda. WMD anyone.. anyone.. Hello.. Meanwhile the bankers who will implode their over leveraged global ponzi scheme and blame all the unrest on the crazy boogeyman in the middle east. Be careful what you wish for tools.
I think the little Iranian tyrant needs a couple of rockets to land at his house just like Reagan did to Kadafy Kadafy went into hiding until Obama was elected!
And then he was killed!
Time has come for action, Iran should act first
As Dirty Harry said, "go ahead, make my day". If the Iranians mess with a US carrier, the carrier will break all of Ahmadinejad's toys. Not just the ones that float.
I would have thought Iran had enough sense not to put itself in a position with no way out. Perhaps not! Or perhaps it has a sense that the US is weak and would never take any type of overt action in an election year. I guess time will tell. What fools.
That sick country is going to have to be nailed eventually. They are a bunch of neanderthals who, unfortunately, have modern technology and weapons. The sooner the world takes them out the better off we will all be.
It'll be very embarrassing for your misplaced Persian pride and your overzealous Imperial Islam conversion when an "infidel" puts both you & Allah in your places.
The US has already decided long ago to attack Iran. They have simply just been waiting for the excuse. I believe the document or narrative that was the blueprint for the takeover of Iran was called “which way to Persia, or the past to Persia”. Just imagine if you had captured spies within your country, was a victim of a sophisticated computer attack, captured a drone that was conducting surveillance within your country, had constant threats against your country, had foreign battleships enter your country, and yet you are supposed to sit back and do nothing. The whole world knows that it is a lie about the nuclear weapon that is supposedly being built. Just do what you got a do and stop pretending that there is justification for the slaughter and destruction that has been planned long ago.
What an opportune moment for the US Navy to bash the bloated braggart from Iran. America ! The world is standing with you. Go & make short shrift of the Iranian-Mullah regime ! Now is the time !
Steam ahead! Move our carrier into the straights. If an Iranian ship even blinks its lights - sink it. And, sink every other moving Iranian vessel in the area. Don't warn them. Don't talk about it. Just fire on them. Then stay in the straights and keep oil flowing. Let the people of Iran see what their leaders have wrought upon them. Their regime will change quickly.
We will throw holy crude oil and camel droppings onto thy sailors, which will call for mercy. There are already millions of voluntary martyrs which will swim with mines attached to their backs, and they have holy lifesavers, which can help them swim all the way to our lost province of Bahrein, where you arrogantly eat pepperoni pizza and drink western beer. We will close the strait of Hormouz the moment you try to put your steel nose through it: Allah will cause a pandemia of birds' diahrrea there, and thou will not know wether it's day or night or rain. Don't test or resolve. The entire world, from Nort Korea to Syria is with us, Lebanon and Nicaragua belong to us too. The sword or Ahasverus will smite thee... and our children will sing from the shores of Hormouz in such a high pitch thou will get crazy.
Supported friend.....we Nigerians have realised that as part of the Boko haram support from Al Qaeda, Iran is a financial supporter of Al qaeda. this useless Mullah regime will fall.
No way back to the stone age!
What do you mean back? They still are in the Stone Age. LOL.