In an apparent show of strength ahead of first anniversary
of killing of Irani general Qasem Soleimani, US navy sent a nuclear submarine
crossing the Strait of Hormuz, the main channel used by Iran for all its oil
export, AFP reported on Monday.

The USS Georgia can carry 154 Tomahawk cruise missiles and
66 special forces soldiers, according to a statement from the US Navy, which
usually does not disclose the presence of its submersibles around the world, the agency wrote.

The statement is illustrated with photos showing the USS
Georgia at the surface, escorted by the cruisers USS Port Royal and USS
Philippine Sea, in the strategic strait that Iran regularly threatens to block.

That the act was undertaken to ward off Iran from embarking on
a mischievous undertaking against the US was apparent from the navy’s
statement, which stated that the submarine’s presence “demonstrates the
United States’ commitment to regional partners and maritime security with a
full spectrum of capabilities to remain ready to defend against any threat at
any time.”

The relations between the US and Iran were strained early in
the year, when the US army killed Soleimani in drone attack on January 3.

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As the anniversary date closes in, the US is apprehensive
that Iran may launch some sort of attack on its troops stationed in Iraq and
elsewhere in the middle-east to avenge the killing of the general.

The US embassy was attacked on Sunday with rockets in which,
it reported no human casualties.

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The attack was the third against US military and diplomatic
facilities since an October truce with pro-Iran Iraqi factions ended a
year-long series of attacks on foreign facilities across Iraq.