Tehran, January 04: The US Department of Defense has announced that the American government does not seek a “confrontation” with Iran over the Strait of Hormuz.
“No one in this government seeks confrontation over the Strait of Hormuz,” said Pentagon spokesman George Little on Tuesday.
“It is important to lower the temperature,” the spokesman added.
The reaction comes after Commander of Iran’s Army Major General Ataollah Salehi on Tuesday warned the aircraft carrier USS John C. Stennis not to return to its previous position in the Persian Gulf, “since we are not in the habit of repeating a warning and we warn only once.”
The Pentagon said, however, that the aircraft carrier’s “regularly scheduled movements” would continue in the region, but stopped short of declaring any specific measure in response to the warning by the Iranian commander.
The USS John C. Stennis has left the Persian Gulf and the Sea of Oman. It is one of the US navy’s biggest warships. The nuclear-powered vessel carries about 3,300 personnel, most of whom serve as its air crew. It can also carry 50 fighter jets and 6 helicopters. The carrier passed through Iran’s Forouzan oil platforms and Farsi Island.
Iran’s warning came after the Iranian navy wrapped up massive 10-day naval exercises, codenamed “Velayat 90”, on January 2. The drills covered an area stretching from the east of the Strait of Hormuz in the Persian Gulf to the Gulf of Aden.
On December 30, 2011, Iran’s Navy identified and recorded footage and images of the USS John C. Stennis in the area where Iran was conducting its naval maneuvers.
——Agencies