possible moveto choke off the Strait of Hormuz, according to the New
York Times。
Another batch of fighter jets capable of striking deep into Iran has
been sent to the area, in a persistent effort to beef upthe American
military presence in the gulf region。
The most visible reinforcements are the doubled minesweepers bythe
Navy consigned to the region up to eight vessels. In line with the
move, Navy ships are also deployed to largely strengthen the US patrol
in the Strait of Hormuz and to reopen the narrow waterway once Iran
laid mines to deter oil tankers of Saudi Arabia and other oil
exporters from passing through。
"The message to Iran is: Don't even think about it,"one senior Defense
Department official said on the condition of anonymity, "Don't even
think about closing the strait. We'll clear the mines. Don't even
think about sending your fast boats out to harass our vessels or
commercial shipping. We'll put them on the bottom of the gulf。"
Those additional attack aircraft give the US military greater
capability against coastal missile batteries that could threaten
shipping, as well as its reach to strike other targets deeper inside
Iran。
In response to the tightening Western sanctions, Iran announced on
Monday that it would consider blocking the Strait of Hormuz. The
Islamic Republic has also started a three-day missiledrill delivering
a warning to Israel and the United States.
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