美国有线新闻 CNN 美国向中东部署航母打击群和轰炸机队 意在震慑伊朗（在线收听）

CARL AZUZ, CNN 10 HOST: Hi, I'm Carl Azuz. Today's edition of CNN 10 begins in the Strait of Hormuz, a narrow passage of water between the Persian Gulf and Gulf of Oman. This Middle Eastern Strait which his 21 miles wide, is important to the global economy. About 30 percent of the world's crude oil passes through it.

Now, a United States carrier strike group has been deployed the strait. It includes an aircraft carrier, the USS Abraham Lincoln, a?s well as destroyers, a guided missile cruiser and a group of bomber aircraft. Why are they all headed to the Middle East? It's to send a message to the nation of Iran.

It forms the northern border of the Strait of Hormuz. And American officials say they have specific incredible intelligence that the Iranian military and groups that operate beneath it are planning to target U.S. forces in Syria, Iraq and at sea.

Tensions between Iran and the U.S. are soaring. Last month, America declared that part of Iran's military is a foreign terrorist organization, and Iran responded by declaring the U.S. is a state sponsor of terrorism. Because America accuses Iran of participating in terrorist attacks around the world, it's trying to pressure Iran to change its behavior. And one way it's doing that is by blocking Iran's revenues from oil sales, which are the main source of the country's foreign income.

Iran has said it would continue finding buyers for its oil and using the Strait of Hormuz to ship it. It also directly warned America not to block or interfere with the strait. But while American officials say the U.S. isn't seeking war with Iran, it is prepared to respond with, quote, "unrelenting force to any Iranian attacks on American interests or allies."