TEHRAN: Iran's army chief yesterday warned an American aircraft carrier not to return to the Gulf in Tehran's latest tough rhetoric over the strategic waterway, part of a feud with the US over new sanctions that has sparked a jump in oil prices. General Ataollah Salehi spoke as a 10-day Iranian naval exercise ended near the Strait of Hormuz at the mouth of the Gulf. Iranian officials have said the drill aimed to show that Iran could close the vital oil passage, as it has threatened to do if the US enacts strong new sanctions over Iran's nuclear programme.
In Washington, the Pentagon dismissed Salehi's threat, saying it would keep sending aircraft carrier strike groups through the Gulf for "regularly scheduled movements" and in accordance with international law.
The White House said the threat showed that international economic sanctions were putting Tehran in an increasingly difficult position.
Oil prices rose to over $101 a barrel yesterday amid concerns that rising tensions could lead to crude supply disruptions. The jump came a day after Iran test-fired a surface-to-surface cruise missile as part of the manoeuvres, prompting its navy chief to announce that the strait is "completely under our control".
Salehi's comments apparently referred to the aircraft carrier USS John C Stennis, which along with another vessel exited the Gulf a week ago after a visit to Dubai's Jebel Ali port.
His warning that it not come back seemed aimed at further depicting the Hormuz Strait and the Gulf as under Iran's domination. "We recommend to the American warship that passed through the Strait of Hormuz and went to Gulf of Oman not to return to the Gulf," Salehi said.
Meanwhile, Kuwait protested yesterday against Iran's intention to unilaterally develop a disputed offshore gas field in the Gulf unless an agreement is reached.
Iran said on Sunday it would launch full-scale unilateral development of the field if Kuwait does not respond to its offer of joint development.
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.
"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.
RQA-170's design confirms US ill intent
http://www.legitgov.org/RQA-170s-design-confirms-US-ill-inten
RQA-170's design confirms US ill intent 02 Jan 2012 Iran's former Defense Minister says sensors used in a US RQ-170 spy drone, which was recently captured in eastern Iran, clearly prove that it had been designed to violate the country's airspace. Rear Admiral Ali Shamkhani said if the drone was meant to carry out spy missions along the Afghan border, it must have only carried photographic sensors because it would not need a monitoring system as well as thermal and spectrometer sensors which have been found in RQ-170. "Meanwhile, such advanced planes are only available to the CIA and even America's Defense Ministry, the Pentagon, does not have such drones," he added.
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Iran tests two more missiles as US tightens sanctions
http://feeds.bignewsnetwork.com/?sid=202313900
TEHRAN - Iran Monday flexed its military muscles further by test-firing two missiles near the strategic Strait of Hormuz, stating it was meant to highlight that Tehran was capable of defending its "borders, resources and nation". The tests came even as the West prepares to impose more economic sanctions on Iran over its nuclear programme. US President Barack Obama signed into law new unilateral sanctions targeting Iran's central bank and financial sector, while the European Union is planning an embargo on Iranian oil imports. EU foreign ministers are to meet at the end of January to decide whether to implement that measure. A day after launching a medium-range surface-to-air missile, Iran Monday said it launched a Ghader ground-to-ship cruise missile and a shorter-range Nasr surface-to-surface missile. The launch of two missiles took place on the final day of its 10-day naval war games in waters east of the Strait of Hormuz, navy spokesman Commodore Mahmoud Mousavi, was quoted as saying by official media. The longest range of the missiles tested Monday was 200 km (120 miles) Iran's navy chief Adm. Habibollah Sayyari said after Monday's test. "We do not allow any enemy to pose threats to our interests. "We conducted the drill ... to let everybody know that Iran's defense and deterrence powers on the open seas and the Strait of Hormuz are aimed at defending our borders, resources and our nation," said Sayyari. The US, which keeps its Fifth Fleet based in the Gulf, has warned it will not tolerate a closure of the Strait of Hormuz, through which around 20 percent of the world's oil passes. Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad on Sunday said his country's central bank would face the new US sanctions with "strength." However, Iran's currency dived to a record low against the dollar. The Iranian rial Monday traded at 16,400 to the dollar. The currency has lost 53 percent of its value over the past year. Iran's 10-day navy drill ends Tuesday.
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