Iran Again Flexes Naval Muscles

Just a month after the Iranian navy held war games in the Persian Gulf, the more powerful Revolutionary Guard is holding naval maneuvers, too, near the strategic Strait of Hormuz, reports the AP. The Guard is directly controlled by supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who yesterday pledged to help any group or nation that challenges Israel. "A war itself will damage the US 10 times" more in the region, said Khamenei. The exercises are expected to last a month. The move comes amid rumblings of a potential Israeli attack on Iran's nuclear sites. Israel, too, is bracing for attacks. (More Iran stories.)