The U.S. and 29 other nations have begun the biggest mine-clearing exercise in the Persian Gulf region, a show of force as tensions escalate over a threatened Israeli attack on Iran’s nuclear facilities.
The 12-day exercise that started yesterday involves Western nations such as the U.K. and France, as well as participants as varied as Japan, Yemen, Jordan, New Zealand and Estonia, according to the U.S. Navy. In an effort to avoid a showdown with the Islamic Republic, it won’t extend into the Strait of Hormuz, the waterway between Iran and Oman through which as much as a fifth of the world’s traded oil is shipped daily/.../
Given the threat from Iran, “more such exercises are needed to improve our ability to operate with our international partners,” Mark Gunzinger, an analyst with the Center for Strategic and Budgetary Assessments in Washington, said in an e- mail. “It’s also a very clear signal that we have the capabilities and the will to maintain freedom of navigation.”