U.S. Navy won't let Iran shut Gulf, will defend ships
uk.reuters ^ | Wed Jul 2, 2008 5:14pm BST | By Lin Noueihed

The United States will not allow Iran to block the Gulf, which carries crude from the world's largest oil exporting region, and would defend its ships in the waterway, the U.S. Navy's Fifth Fleet said on Wednesday.

"I believe ... Iran will not attempt to close the Strait of Hormuz and we will not allow them to close the Strait of Hormuz. I can't say it anymore clearly than that," Vice-Admiral Kevin Cosgriff, the commander of the U.S. Navy's Fifth Fleet, told a conference on Gulf naval security in Abu Dhabi.

(Excerpt) Read more at uk.reuters.com ...