US to end biggest war games in Gulf since 2003

Manama, March 29: The US navy ends its largest exercise in Gulf waters since 2003 today, a spokesman for the U.S. Fifth Fleet said.

Two aircraft carriers took part in the exercises, which included anti-submarine, anti-surface and mine warfare drills -- the first time two such vessels have been sent to patrol the Gulf since the US-led war on Iraq four years ago.

''The majority of the exercises are wrapped up and some training activities are ending today...I'm sure there hasn't been a larger exercise in the Gulf since 2003,'' said Fifth Fleet spokesman Lieutenant-Commander Charlie Brown.

The Fifth Fleet has said a decision to hold the exercises was taken within the last two weeks, and planning for the drills accelerated as tensions mounted between Iran and the West over Iran's nuclear programme and its capture of British sailors.

Spokesmen for the fleet, based in the Gulf island state of Bahrain, have said the exercises were meant to reassure allies of the U.S. commitment to security and stability in the region.

Only U.S. ships took part in the exercises.

Yesterday, Iranian state media quoted Ali-Reza Tangsiri, a Revolutionary Guards navy commander as saying Iran, which last Thursday also started a week of navy exercises in the Gulf, was monitoring foreign warships closely.

''Based on our forces' observations (US) claims ... about a big American manoeuvre in this region are not true,'' he said.

In February Iran said it had tested missiles that could ''sink big warships'' in the Gulf.

Britain, which maintains its 15 captured sailors were within Iraqi waters, wants U.N. Security Council members to endorse a statement that would ''deplore'' their detention by Iran.

British Prime Minister Tony Blair has warned that the dispute would enter a ''different phase'' unless they were freed.

Reuters