New U.S. carrier in Gulf a ‘reminder’ to Iran

MEXICO CITY, April 30 (Reuters):

The U.S. Navy has temporarily added a second aircraft carrier in the Gulf as a “reminder” to Iran, but this was not an escalation of American forces in the region, U.S. Defence Secretary Robert Gates said Tuesday. Speaking to reporters during a trip to Mexico, Gates flatly denied a suggestion that the presence of two U.S. carriers in the Gulf could be a precursor to military action against Tehran. “This deployment has been planned for a long time,” Gates said. “I don’t see it as an escalation. I think it could be seen, though, as a reminder.”