Massive Multinational Maneuvers Put Iran on Notice
September 28, 2012
In this Nov. 12, 2011 photo provided by the U.S. Navy, the Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS John C. Stennis (CVN 74) transits the Straits of Hormuz.
The United States and more than 30 other countries have conducted the largest ever minesweeping exercise in the Persian Gulf -- where Iran is threatening to block the strategic Strait of Hormuz. The moves come as the U.S. and Israel are again warning that force could be used to stop Tehran from developing a nuclear weapons capability.
The multinational operation, led by the United States in the Gulf, was a very public notice to Iran, which has threatened to mine these waters, the corridor for a fifth of the world’s oil.
At the same time, Israel held its largest military drill in years as tension with Iran over its controversial nuclear program continues to rise.
Israeli officials say Iran is just months away from a nuclear-weapons capability.
"Shockingly some people have begun to peddle the absurd notion that a nuclear-armed Iran would actually stabilize the Middle East. Yea right," Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said. "That is like saying a nuclear-armed al-Qaida would usher in an era of universal peace."
World powers suspect Iran is seeking to develop nuclear weapons, although Tehran insists it wants nuclear technology for peaceful means.
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