Further raising military tensions in the region around Iran, the USS Abraham Lincoln and its carrier strike group passed through the Strait of Hormuz into the Persian Gulf as part of official talk of an “increased presence” in the region.
The US Navy statement on the matter insisted the passage into the Gulf was uneventful, and “does not represent escalation or a new policy toward Iran.” It is clear that Iran is not viewing this the same way.
With the arrival of a US aircraft carrier and its support ships, Iran began a major air defense drill along the coast, with the Army Air Defense forces preparing to coordinate defending against a potential attack.
The US has been adding troops, ships, and warplanes to the area around Iran’s frontier in recent months. Most of the times this is plainly escalatory, though in this case the Navy seems determined to insist that is not the case.
US Carrier Strike Group Enters Persian Gulf, Raising Iran Tensions
Navy says trip was uneventful, not an escalation
Jason Ditz is Senior Editor for Antiwar.com. He has 20 years of experience in foreign policy research and his work has appeared in The American Conservative, Responsible Statecraft, Forbes, Toronto Star, Minneapolis Star-Tribune, Providence Journal, Washington Times, and the Detroit Free Press.
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