US to launch "free passage" plan for ships in the Iranian waterway | Iran News



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Aspen, Colorado – The United States fears that a "miscalculation" on the part of Iran is causing an "unintentional conflict" in the Gulf, as it prepares to launch a new initiative monitoring and intelligence with its allies to ensure a "free and open pbadage" for ships.

"We are starting a concept called Sentinel in which we will have a series of countries committed to preserving the free pbadage of trade in the Strait of Hormuz and the Persian Gulf," said John Rood, US Under Secretary of Defense. , in charge of the Policy. at the Aspen Security Forum the Saturday.

The United States has had talks with NATO allies, "Gulf partners" and others to join the effort to maintain the "vital waterway", has Rood said, adding that the new operation "will come to fruition in the coming days and weeks" ".

"The idea is to ensure that additional sentries can observe activity in the Gulf with intelligence and surveillance capabilities, a naval and air presence to restore stability and also a responsive capability." .

The United States warns Iran against the serious consequences of the seizure of a British tanker

Rood said the US did not want a conflict with Iran, but warned that the Islamic Republic should not doubt the US resolution to protect their forces and their populations.

"The risk of miscalculation is high on the part of the Iranians, they act as they did when seizing the ship from the UK This kind of friction in a small waterway increases the possibility of an involuntary conflict. "

Rood cited "a set of longstanding concerns about Iran's behavior, its export of militancy, its support for terrorism, the arbitrary detention of Americans, the search for nuclear capabilities and long-range missiles ", which motivated the United States to act against Iran.

Another US official said the sanctions against Iran were working.

Under-Secretary of the Treasury for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence, Sigal Mandelker, said the Iranian military was among those under pressure from sanctions.

"What you are seeing today are historic lows in the amount of oil that Iran is capable of producing," which deprives Iran of the revenues needed to build its nuclear program or support the Lebanese Hezbollah movement or the Houthis of Yemen, Mandelker said.

She said that US President Donald Trump and Secretary of State Mike Pompeo had repeatedly reiterated their willingness to negotiate with Iran.

Tensions in the Gulf are high, with the fear that the United States and Iran will end up in a military conflict.

Washington blames Tehran for a series of attacks launched since mid-May against ships moving around the Strait of Ormuz, the world's largest oil artery. Tehran rejects the allegations.

Washington has announced the dispatch of more than 500 US troops to Saudi Arabia, as well as aircraft and air defense missiles. This deployment will be the first in Saudi Arabia since the withdrawal of the United States from the kingdom in 2003.

Will the tension in the Gulf become uncontrollable?

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