Report: U.S. offered U.K. to conduct aggressive air patrols over Iran

F-16 Fighting Falcons wait on the "hot ramp" while maintenance crews ready the weapons for a night mission in Iraq

LONDON -- The United States offered to mount aggressive air patrols over Revolutionary Guards bases during Iran's stand-off with Britain but was rebuffed by London, The Guardian newspaper reported Saturday.

Citing unnamed diplomatic sources, the daily said that Pentagon officials offered a series of military options, but Britain told them to keep out of the affair and instead tone down armed forces activity in the Gulf.

One of the options involved combat aircraft patrolling over Iranian bases to show how serious the incident was, the newspaper said in a front page story.

Read the rest at the Middle East Times

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