U.S. warships under Iranian watch

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TEHRAN, Sept. 4 (UPI) -- An Iranian military leader said U.S. warships in the Persian Gulf are acting within the law but are closely monitored by Iran's navy.

The American presence is "in accordance with international law, and we have not allowed the U.S. to enter our territorial waters. We monitor all movements of U.S. warships and have intelligence command over their activities," Rear Adm. Habibollah Sayyari said.

Sayyari added Somali pirates in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Oman, who have hijacked ships for ransom, are an excuse for Western governments to justify their own presence in the region to create insecurity, adding the Iranian navy has been conducting patrols in the area to safeguard shipping, the state-run Press TV reported Tuesday.