The Pentagon builds up military forces of sea and land bases in the Persian Gulf with the aim of countering possible Iranian attempts to block the Strait of Hormuz, The Wall Street Journal reports today.
According to the newspaper, the U.S. military notified the U.S. Congress about the plans to deploy in this area means of mine detection and clearance, as well as to enhance intelligence. In addition, the Pentagon intends to re-equip the military ships, so they can act against Iranian speed boats, ITAR-TASS reports.
"If the enemy shows us his power, we wonder what we can do to put him in checkmate. Let the enemy know that we are taking measures to get ready," a representative of the American military was quoted by the newspaper.
The U.S. and European countries suspect Tehran of attempting to create nuclear weapons, but Iran has denied any military nature of its nuclear program. In this regard, the EU recently imposed tough economic sanctions against the Iranian oil sector. The White House is concerned that in response Iran can block the Strait of Hormuz that connects the
Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman and is a major transportation artery, through which about 40% of total world oil supplies are transported by sea.
