In light of the United States' retreat from withdrawing the USS Nimitz aircraft carrier from Gulf waters, CNN said today, Monday, that US President Donald Trump was the one who instructed the Acting Defense Secretary to keep The carrier must be in its position, and in the meantime Iran announced that it would start a large-scale military maneuver tomorrow.
CNN reported, quoting a Pentagon official, that the previous decision by Acting Defense Secretary Christopher Miller to withdraw the Nimitz aircraft carrier in order to "reduce tension" was not approved as an official policy, but rather came as a surprise to senior leaders.
The network added that the US Central Command wanted to keep the aircraft carrier in the region due to Iranian threats.
On Sunday, Miller announced "halting the routine redeployment of the aircraft carrier" and keeping it in place in the US Central Command's area of operations in the Middle East due to Iranian threats against President Donald Trump and other government officials, saying that "no one should question the resolve of the United States."
Last week, CNN quoted Pentagon officials as saying that Miller decided to withdraw the aircraft carrier Nimitz outside the Gulf to reduce tension with Iran, noting that there are divisions within the Pentagon regarding the current threat level from Tehran.
Special Iranian training
On the other hand, Iranian television announced today that the Iranian forces will start tomorrow, Tuesday, wide maneuvers that include drones and anti-aircraft weapons.
The television added that the exercises include training for hundreds of drones on missions, some of which are attack and suicide missions.
These developments come in light of tension in the Gulf and warnings and mutual accusations between the United States and Israel on the one hand, and Iran and its allies on the other hand, in the last days of the administration of US President Donald Trump, and the accompanying concerns about a possible military action against Tehran.
Earlier in the day, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Saeed Khatibzadeh said that his country had warned Washington that it bears responsibility for any "adventure" in the region, and also warned countries in the region against joining it.
He added that Tehran is not seeking tension in the region, and that it will not hesitate to defend its security vigorously.
The Iranian spokesman stressed that Tehran would not negotiate its defense and missile capabilities, and that it would develop them "according to its defense needs."