Reuters, Dubai, July 8, 2008 (excerpts) – U.S. and British naval forces wrapped up their military exercises in the Gulf on Tuesday .

The exercises took place against a backdrop of high tensions between Iran and the West over Tehran’s nuclear activities.

Two U.S. vessels took part in this week’s exercise alongside a British warship and one from Bahrain. The British-led exercise began on July 3.

Vice-Admiral Kevin Cosgriff, the commander of the U.S. Navy’s Fifth Fleet, said last week the United States would not allow Iran to block the Gulf. But a number of incidents in the busy waterway have ratcheted up tensions in recent months.

Speculation about a possible attack on Iran has risen since a report last month said Israel had practised such a strike. Iran on Tuesday vowed to strike shipping in the world’s largest oil exporting region if it is attacked.

The U.S. Fifth Fleet, which is based on the Gulf Arab island of Bahrain, said “Exercise Stake Net” took place in the central and southern Gulf and was part of ongoing training aimed at protecting the region’s oil infrastructure from any attack.