US officials say Iran has begun naval operation in the Middle East
By Barbara Starr, CNN Pentagon Correspondent
Updated 9:47 PM ET, Thu August 2, 2018
Washington (CNN)Iran has begun a major military exercise in the Persian Gulf region according to a US defense official directly familiar with the latest US information.
The "exercise is underway," and the US assesses the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps has deployed "dozens" of small boats in the initial phase. The exercise is taking place in the Persian Gulf, the Strait of Hormuz and the Gulf of Oman.
While Iran has not widely publicized the exercise, the US military is concerned it could demonstrate Iran's ability to interfere with commercial shipping and shut down the Strait of Hormuz, a crucial conduit for global energy supplies, US officials say.
https://www.cnn.com/2018/08/02/politics/us-iran-navy-hormuz/index.html
