- Sputnik International
World
Get the latest news from around the world, live coverage, off-beat stories, features and analysis.

US Military Presence in Persian Gulf Has 'Reached Its End' - Iranian Navy

© AP Photo / Hassan Ammar, FileThis file photo taken on Monday, Feb. 13, 2012 shows a U.S. F-18 fighter jet, left, land on the Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN 72) as a U.S. destroyer sells on alongside during fly exercises in the Persian Gulf
This file photo taken on Monday, Feb. 13, 2012 shows a U.S. F-18 fighter jet, left, land on the Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN 72) as a U.S. destroyer sells on alongside during fly exercises in the Persian Gulf - Sputnik International
Subscribe
TEHRAN (Sputnik) - Iranian Navy Commander Rear Adm. Hossein Khanzadi said on Sunday, commenting on Washington’s decision to increase its military presence in the Middle East, that the United States must leave the region.

"The presence of the Americans in the Persian Gulf region has reached its end and they must leave the region", Khanzadi said as quoted by the Iranian Students' News Agency (ISNA).

Washington is seeking to increase the likelihood of war by sending an aircraft carrier to the Persian Gulf, he added.

Earlier this week, Acting US Defence Secretary Patrick Shanahan approved the deployment of the Patriot missile defence system and USS Arlington (LPD-24) to the Middle East.

READ MORE: The US Has Our Number: Iran Brushes Off Trump’s Request to Call Him

Earlier in the month, the United States said it would deploy the USS Abraham Lincoln Carrier Strike Group and a bomber task force near Iran to an area controlled by the US Central Command (CENTCOM) to send "a clear and unmistakable message" to Tehran.

Iranian Navy boats take part in maneuvers during the Velayat-90 navy exercises in the Strait of Hormuz in southern Iran (File) - Sputnik International
US Suspects Iran of Moving Ballistic Missiles by Sea to Persian Gulf - Reports
Tensions have been running high between Iran and the United States since May 2018, when US President Donald Trump, a long-time critic of the historic Iran nuclear deal, pulled out of the agreement.

In less than a year, Washington unveiled several rounds of sanctions against the Islamic republic, targeting the country's finance, transport, military and other spheres.

Tehran has informed the ambassadors of China, France, Germany, Russia and the United Kingdom of its decision to suspend some of its obligations under the nuclear deal.

READ MORE: Pakistan Begins Fencing Border With Iran — Commander

Iranian President Hassan Rouhani announced that he gave European countries 60 days to ensure that Iran's interests were protected under the agreement.

Newsfeed
0
To participate in the discussion
log in or register
loader
Chats
Заголовок открываемого материала