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By NBC News’ Jim Miklaszewski and Courtney Kube | 16 July 2012

The Pentagon is sending the aircraft carrier USS John Stennis to the Persian Gulf
region four months ahead of schedule as tensions rise over Iran’s nuclear program.

An eight-month deployment will be twice as long as originally planned, defense
officials told NBC News on Monday.

The major shift in the Stennis deployment comes as Iran renewed its threat to shut
down the Strait of Hormuz over tighter international sanctions and the possibility
that Israel may launch pre-emptive airstrikes against Iran's nuclear facility.

About 40 percent of the world's seaborne oil exports pass through the strait.



The shift and extension of the Stennis deployment will allow the U.S. Central
Command to keep two aircraft carriers in the Persian Gulf region, Gulf of Oman and
North Arabian Sea, not only as a hedge against Iran, but also to support combat air
operations over Afghanistan.

The carrier USS Lincoln left the Persian Gulf area Monday. The carriers Enterprise
and Eisenhower will remain in the region until the Stennis relieves the Enterprise
about five months from now.

It will take the Stennis about a month to reach the region.