US Navy expects 'uncertainty' in Gulf after Iran deal withdrawal

ABOARD A MILITARY AIRCRAFT – The United States Navy is closely watching Iranian behavior in the Gulf and expects a "period of uncertainty" and increased level of alertness after President Donald Trump's decision to withdraw from an international nuclear deal with Iran, the US Navy chief said on Monday.

The withdrawal has upset Washington's European allies, cast uncertainty over global oil supplies and raised the risk of conflict in the Middle East.

"It is a period of uncertainty that we are entering into right, how the whole world will respond to this latest development," Chief of US Naval Operations Admiral John Richardson told a small group of reporters.

"(We have to) remain alert, I mean even a little bit more alert than usual to just be open to any kind of response or new development or something like that," Richardson added.