the Persian Gulf

I'm sorry, but it doesn't look as if the threat has gone away - US election or no election.

 

US Aircraft Carrier John Stennis Arrives By Iran

Zero Hedge,

17 October, 2012

Ten days ago, when we last tracked the progress of the third US aircraft carrier, CVN-74 Stennis, with destination Arabian Gulf, aka Iran, we reported that it was "within a week of reaching" its destination. Sure enough, as the latest Stratfor naval update confirms, CVN-74 has now reached its destination for which it was commissioned several months prematurely. But before you get your war hats out, note that that other aircraft carrier which is conducting its final voyage, the CVN-65 Enterprise, has decided to take a bit of a break and left the Arabian Gulf area for a scehduled R&R port visit in Naples, Italy. In a week or so, shore leave will be over and CVN will be back to join everyone else, at which point the US will finally have three aircraft carriers just off the Iranian coastline ready to rumble.

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Iran Launches Submarine And Destroyer Into Gulf During US Naval Exercises

Submitted by Charles Kennedy of OilPrice.com

Zero Hedge,

17 October, 2012

This week the US, UK, France, and a few Middle Eastern countries are conducting naval exercises in the Gulf of Persia to practice clearing mines that Iran, or other groups may place around the Straits of Hormuz in an attempt to disrupt the movement of oil tankers in the region.

Mohammed Ali Jafari, the commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, said that the “exercise is a defensive exercise and we don't perceive any threats from it. We are not conducting exercises in response.”

Yet this is not the impression that is given

Just yesterday, according to the official IRNA news agency, upon the direct orders of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei Iran launched a refitted Tareq-901 submarine and a Sahand destroyer into the Gulf from the port of Bandar Abbas.

At the same time, as stated on Khamenei’s official website, the Supreme Leader was visiting the northern coastal city of Nowshahr to observe naval cadets practice planting mines, rescuing hijacked ships, destroying enemy ships, and rapid deployment via helicopters.

Khamenei addressed his troops, saying that “the armed forces must reach capabilities such that no one can attack the strong fence of the country and the dear people of Iran.”

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced on Sunday that Tehran is now very close to building a nuclear bomb, leading some to fear that Israel may take things into their own hands and strike against Iranian nuclear facilities

U.S., Israel Prepare for Major

Joint Military Drill

U.S. troops and equipment have begun arriving in Israel ahead of what a senior air force officer on Oct. 17 called “the largest exercise in the history of the longstanding military relationship between the U.S. and Israel.”

Defense News,

17 October, 2012

He did not give precise dates, saying only that it would begin towards the end of October or early November and last “about three weeks.”

Lt. Gen. Craig Franklin told journalists in a telephone briefing that the drill, “Austere Challenge 2012” (AC12) was defensive and unrelated to the Iran nuclear crisis, other Middle East developments or elections in the United States and Israel.

“While the scenario is driven by the overall situation in the Middle East, AC12 is not related to any specific current event,” he said. “AC12 is not related to national elections nor to any perceived tensions in the Middle East.”

Originally scheduled for spring, the massive joint missile defense drill was postponed. Local media suggested that it could be a victim of disagreement between U.S. President Barack Obama and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu over a possible military strike on Iran.

It was also reportedly downsized, although Franklin said changes were minimal.

“Overall the scale of the exercise and the number of forces taking part in it is essentially unchanged,” he said. “The total number of participants is the same, there’s just a reduced U.S. presence in Israel.”

“The numbers changed a little bit, mainly on logistics and other support,” Brig. Gen. Nitzan Nuriel, the chief Israeli planner for the maneuvers, added. “On troops on the ground there is no change and we are going to practice as we planned.”

Despite disclaimers, the exercise, involving a total of 3,500 U.S. personnel and 1,000 Israeli troops, will be seen as sending a clear signal to Tehran amid tension over Iran’s nuclear drive, which Israel, Washington and much of the international community believe masks a weapons drive.

“Anybody can get any kind of message he wants from this exercise,” Nuriel said.

“The fact that we are practicing together, working together, is a strong message by itself,” he added. “Anyone can take any lessons he wants from this exercise.”

Franklin said: “It will promote regional stability and help ensure a military edge.”

Of the 3,500 U.S. personnel, 1,000 will be in Israel and the rest in Europe and the Mediterranean, Franklin said.

Troops will train together on Israel’s Iron Dome missile defense system, the latest version of the U.S. Patriot and the Arrow anti-ballistic missile system, jointly developed by the two allies. Command and control functions will be provide by a U.S. Navy Aegis cruiser.

The total cost is around $38 million, with the United States’ share at $30 million.