In a press conference in Pentagon, the chairman of the US Chiefs of Staff Adm. Michael Mullen said The Strait of Hormuz incident ought to remind us “how real the threat is from Iran and how ready we are to meet that threat if it comes to it.” “The problem of Iran is not, and should never be considered, purely a military problem,” the chairman said.

He emphasized the response by the three Navy ships threatened by five Iranian speeboats on Jan. 6 was “exactly right” and they “followed procedures exactly the way they should have.” “There is no doubt in my mind that shots would have been fired had the situation demanded it.”

He warned Iran not to mistake US restraint in an incident in the Strait of Hormuz for a lack of resolve, saying US warships would defend themselves.

He said: “I would rather prevent a war than fight one,” and he called on Iran to take a productive, positive role in the Middle East and refrain from provocative behavior.

“Our own military restraint in dealing with that problem should never be confused for lack of capability,” he said.