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Hormuz
incident shows Iran a threat: top U.S. officer said.
Fri Jan 11, 2008 6:01pm EST Email
1 of 1Full SizeVideo Iran Navy’s view of Hormuz
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Iranians threatened U.S. ships in Hormuz: Pentagon
08 Jan 2008
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A tense encounter between U.S.
Navy ships and Iranian boats in the Gulf shows Iran poses a threat and the
United States is ready to counter it, the top U.S. military officer said on
Friday.
"There's no doubt in my mind that shots would have
been fired, had the situation demanded it," said Navy Adm. Mike Mullen,
chairman of the U.S. military's Joint Chiefs of Staff.
"The incident ought to remind us all just how real
is the threat posed by Iran and just how ready we are to meet that threat if
it comes to it," Mullen told reporters.
"We will defend ourselves and our ships, and we
will do so with deadly force if need be," he said at the Pentagon.
According to the United States, five Iranian speedboats
maneuvered aggressively close to three U.S. Navy ships in the Strait of Hormuz
on Sunday and the U.S. ships received a radio transmission threatening an
explosion.
On Friday, the Pentagon released what it said was full,
unedited video of the encounter, lasting around 36 minutes.
The United States has formally complained about the
incident. Iranian officials have dismissed U.S. objections, saying the
encounter was normal and the Iranian boats were merely trying to identify the
U.S. vessels.
The incident was another sign of tension between the
United States and Iran, at odds over a range of issues including Tehran's
nuclear program and its alleged role in Iraq.
"We
can't confirm that Otti is dead," Frazer said,
"but the evidence is pointing in that direction."
Source:
AP, Nov 30, 2007
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