[maysubers]

By THOM SHANKER, ERIC SCHMITT and DAVID E. SANGER | 05:30 July 3, 2012 | The New York Times

WASHINGTON — The United States has quietly moved significant military reinforcements into the Persian Gulf to deter
the Iranian military from any possible attempt to shut the Strait of Hormuz and to increase the number of fighter jets capable
of striking deep into Iran if the standoff over its nuclear program escalates.

The most visible elements of this buildup are Navy ships designed to vastly enhance the ability to patrol the Strait of Hormuz —
and to reopen the narrow waterway should Iran attempt to mine it to prevent Saudi Arabia and other oil exporters from sending
their tankers through the vital passage.

Threat to sink vessels

The Navy has doubled the number of minesweepers assigned to the region, to eight vessels, in what military officers describe as
a purely defensive move.

Since late spring, stealthy F-22 and older F-15C warplanes have moved into two separate bases in the Persian Gulf to bolster the
combat jets already in the region and the carrier strike groups that are on constant tours of the area. Those additional attack
aircraft give the United States military greater capability against coastal missile batteries that could threaten shipping, as well as
the reach to strike other targets deeper inside Iran.



And the Navy, after a crash development program, has moved a converted amphibious transport and docking ship, the Ponce, into
the Persian Gulf to serve as the Pentagon’s first floating staging base for military operations or humanitarian assistance.

The initial assignment for the Ponce, Pentagon officials say, is to serve as a logistics and operations hub for mine-clearing. But with
a medical suite and helicopter deck, and bunks for combat troops, the Ponce eventually could be used as a base for Special
Operations forces to conduct a range of missions, including reconnaissance and counterterrorism, all from international waters.

Negotiations at stalemate

There is little evidence that the increased pressure is having the desired effect. Negotiations with Iran are at a stalemate, though a
group of Iranian, American and European experts are expected to meet in Istanbul on Tuesday to review a recent American proposal
and Iranian response. So far, though, Iran has strenuously resisted all efforts to force it to give up enrichment of uranium, starting
with production of a type that is considered relatively close to bomb grade.

Defense Department officials stressed that the recent reshaping of American forces in the Persian Gulf region should not be viewed
as solely about the potential nuclear threat from Iran.