US aircraft carrier sails through Strait of Hormuz

NHK WORLD English
http://www3.nhk.or.jp/daily/english/20120123_13.html

US aircraft carrier sails through Strait of Hormuz

A US aircraft carrier has sailed through the Strait of Hormuz and entered the Persian Gulf. Iran has shown no reaction so far.

The US Navy's 5th fleet based in Bahrain said on Sunday that the USS Abraham Lincoln had completed a regular and routine passage through the strait without incident.

Britain's Defense Ministry says British and French navy vessels are accompanying the USS Lincoln strike group.

US Defense Secretary Leon Panetta said on Saturday that his country wants Iran to know that it's better to try to deal with the United States through diplomacy.

The latest US move came one day after a senior commander of Iran's Revolutionary Guard said that a US decision to dispatch a new warship to the Persian Gulf and the Middle East is not a new issue.

Iran had previously warned that it will take action if a US carrier returns to the Persian Gulf.

Iran has also said that it may close the Strait of Hormuz -- a key oil shipping gateway, as the US and EU prepare to impose new sanctions over its nuclear program.
The US and its European allies have suggested that they may use military force if Iran blockades the strait.

the Persian Gulf: ペルシア湾
Britain's : イギリスの

USの航空母艦は、今のところイランからの接触もなく無事にホルムズ海峡を航海している。
ただ、何かしらの行動を起こすと宣言していただけに動向が気になるところ。