U.S. Increases Presence In Persian Gulf

(Washington, DC)  –  The U.S. military is stepping up its presence in
the Persian Gulf in an apparent effort to keep Iran in check.  ”The
New York Times” reports the Defense Department has deployed
significant reinforcements to the region, including combat jets and
Navy minesweeper vessels.  The “Times” cites an anonymous senior
administration official who says the deployments are aimed in part at
preventing Iran from shutting down the Strait of Hormuz.  The
administration also hopes to have resources in place if the current
stalemate in negotiations over Iran’s nuclear program should take a
turn for the worse.