US enhances naval presence in Persian Gulf

US enhances naval presence in Persian Gulf
Thu Aug 29, 2013 12:38:01

The US Navy has beefed up its presence in the Persian Gulf region, increasing the number of aircraft carriers from one to two.

The USS Harry S. Truman arrived in the Arabian Sea on Wednesday and was scheduled to take the place of the USS Nimitz, which was supposed to head home.

The US Navy has also ordered the Nimitz, which is in the Indian Ocean, to stay for now.

US officials, speaking on condition of anonymity, described the decision as prudent planning and said it doesn’t suggest the carrier would play a role in any possible strikes in Syria.

On Wednesday night, the Pentagon announced the USS Truman, an aircraft carrier, is moving into the Persian Gulf to the south, joining the four destroyers already in the Mediterranean.

The US had kept two carriers in the region, but budget cuts in February forced officials to cut that to one.

NTJ/NJF

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