US Vice Admiral James Malloy, commander of the US Navy’s Fifth Fleet stationed in Bahrain said that Iran has not drawn back its military despite the growing concerns in the region.
On September 14th, tensions in the region increased after an airstrike had hit the oil facilities of Saudi Arabia which had knocked out the productivity of the country by half and five per cent of the global oil supply.
While major global powers like the United States, Saudi Arabia, United Kingdom, France and Germany have blamed Iran for the airstrikes. A blame which Iran straightforwardly denies, the responsibility of the attack was claimed by the Houthi rebels in Yemen.
According to a report in Reuters, the admiral said that Iran has not drawn back its military to a less threatening posture. On being asked about the intelligence guiding his assessment, the admiral chose not to comment but did inform about his regular checks on the movement of Iranian missiles.
The relationship between Iran and the United States have been deeply strained since US President Donald Trump had decided to pull out of the Iran Nuclear Deal and reimpose sanctions on the country. The sanctions have impacted the economy of Iran and have choked major investments in the country which were promised under the Iran Nuclear Deal.
Following the airstrikes, the United States has increased its vigilance in the Middle-East and has increased its security presence in the region. It has sent four radar system, a battery of Patriot Missiles and about 200 support personnel to bolster the security of Sudi Arabia.
Tensions in the region had increased after a series of attacks took place in the Strait of Hormuz which targetted the oil tankers passing through in the region using limpet mines.
(inputs from agencies)