WASHINGTON (AP) ? The Obama administration is warning Iran publicly and privately not to threaten the flow of oil from the Persian Gulf.
Spokesmen were vague Friday on what the United States would do if Iran did block the Straits of Hormuz. But military officials have been clear that the U.S. is readying for a possible naval clash.
That prospect is the latest flashpoint with Iran. It overshadows the threat of war over Iran’s disputed nuclear program, perhaps sparked by an Israeli military strike on Iran’s nuclear structure. But both crises could erupt in a shooting war this year.
Defense Secretary Leon Panetta is linking the threats. He says an Iranian nuclear weapon is one “red line” the U.S. will not allow Iran to cross, and closure of the straits is another.