The US military recently deployed four new minesweepers in the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman, adding to at least 80 US warships currently based in the region, a Press TV correspondent reported.
The new US minesweepers are supplied with radio control equipment to detect and destroy underwater mines.
The latest report comes a few weeks after the USS Enterprise (CVN-65) nuclear-powered aircraft carrier entered the Persian Gulf along with guided-missile destroyer USS Porter (DDG-78), USS Nitze (DDG-94), USS James E. Williams (DDG-95) and USS Vicksburg (CG-69). The warships joined the US Fifth Fleet in Bahrain.
The United States and nine other countries staged a joint military exercise, codenamed Main Connection 2012, in Bahrain from April 8 to 18.