The Pentagon is bolstering US Navel and land-based defenses in the Persian Gulf in order to thwart any attempt by Iran to close the Strait of Hormuz. Defense officials are saying that the military has notified Congress of plans to preemptively place new mine-detection and clearing equipment and expand surveillance capabilities in and around the strait. The US military also wants to quickly modify weapons systems on ships to target Iranian fast-attack boats, as well as shore-launched cruise missiles. The readiness push, lead by the military's Central Command, indicates the extent to which war planners are taking tangible steps to prepare for a possible conflict with Iran, even as top White House and defense leaders try to emphasize other options over war.
The US' primary concern is that Iran could rapidly mine the strait and use heavily armed speedboats to attack or ram Western ships trying to clear the waterway. A successful Iranian attack on a US warship could drag the US into a larger conflict. In addition, US special-operations teams stationed in the United Arab Emirates would take part in any military action in the strait should Iran attempt to close it. A military official said these forces have been working to train elite local forces in Gulf nations including the UAE, Bahrain and Kuwait.
The tension between the US and Iran escalated in January when Tehran delivered a blunt warning that an American aircraft carrier that left the Persian Gulf through the Strait of Hormuz should not return. Determined to keep the waterway open, the US deployed a different aircraft carrier to the Gulf, and sent another warship near the area, prompting the Islamic Republic to back down from its threat.
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