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The
official, however, did not suggest that such a missile test was
unusual during naval exercises or that it was carried out
unsafely, noting it occurred in what could be described as
Iranian territorial waters in the Strait.
Iran's Revolutionary Guards confirmed on Sunday it had held war
games in the Gulf over the past several days, saying they were
aimed at "confronting possible threats" by enemies.
U.S. Army General Joseph Votel, head of the U.S. military's
Central Command, said earlier this week the scope and scale of
the exercises were similar to ones Iran had carried out in the
past. But the timing of this particular set of exercises was
designed to get Washington's attention.
"It's pretty clear to us that they were trying to use that
exercise to send a message to us that as we approach this period
of the sanctions here, that they had some capabilities," Votel
told reporters at the Pentagon.
Iran has been furious over U.S. President Donald Trump's
decision to pull out of an international agreement on Iran's
nuclear program and re-impose sanctions on Tehran. Senior
Iranian officials have warned the country would not easily yield
to a renewed U.S. campaign to strangle Iran's vital oil exports.
Last month, Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei backed
President Hassan Rouhani's suggestion that Iran may block Gulf
oil exports if its own exports are stopped.
Votel said the U.S. military was keenly aware of Iran's military
activities.
"We are aware of what's going on, and we remain ready to protect
ourselves as we pursue our objectives of freedom of navigation
and the freedom of commerce in international waters," Votel
said.
(Reporting by Phil Stewart; Editing by Tom Brown)
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