Eying Iran

Pentagon Press Secretary George Little today issued a statement regarding published reports that Iran may impede the transit of U.S. naval ships operating in the Persian Gulf region:

The deployment of U.S. military assets in the Persian Gulf region will continue as it has for decades.

These are regularly scheduled movements in accordance with our longstanding commitments to the security and stability of the region and in support of ongoing operations.

These carrier strike group deployments are necessary to maintain the continuity and operational support to ongoing missions in the U.S. Central Command area of responsibility.

The U.S. Navy operates under international maritime conventions to maintain a constant state of high vigilance in order to ensure the continued, safe flow of maritime traffic in waterways critical to global commerce.

Our transits of the Strait of Hormuz continue to be in compliance with international law, which guarantees our vessels the right of transit passage. We are committed to protecting maritime freedoms that are the basis for global prosperity; this is one of the main reasons our military forces operate in the region.

Little also stressed that no one in the U.S. government is seeking a confrontation with Iran over the Strait of Hormuz.