The situation between Iran and the United States is becoming more and more tense, after Tehran's threats to block traffic through the Strait of Hormuz. Today the leaders of the Iranian armed forces revealed that an American aircraft carrier passed through the strait, in an area where the Iranian navy was conducting its usual exercises. State TV showed images of the US aircraft carrier followed by an Iranian plane.
The deputy commander of the Revolutionary Guards, General Hossein Salami, told the Fars agency that "our response to threats will be just as threatening. We are sure we can defend our vital interests and we will act more decisively than ever", added the soldier. "The Americans don't have to give us any permission."
The ship shown by the Iranians is the USS John C. Stennis, one of the largest warships in the US Navy and according to the Pentagon was carrying out a "planned and routine" mission towards the Arabian Sea, in support of the troops engaged in the war in Afghanistan.
The United States maintains a strong naval presence in the Gulf precisely to ensure that oil traffic is not interrupted and the Fifth Fleet is based in Bahrain. About a third of the world's tankers pass through the Strait of Hormuz and the threat of blockade by Iran would have very serious repercussions on the global economy.
