The US Navy says it is carrying out a maneuver in the Persian Gulf to master the guarding of maritime oil and gas infrastructures.

"The aim of Exercise Stake Net is to practice the tactics and procedures of protecting maritime infrastructure, such as gas and oil installations," said Commodore Peter Hudson in a US Fifth Fleet statement released Monday.

"Stake Net seeks to help ensure a lawful maritime order as well as improve relationships between regional partners," reads the statement.

Two American warships as well as a Bahraini and a British vessel are partaking in the exercise, Reuters reported.

The statement comes days after the US Naval Forces Central Command said that the Pentagon is determined to keep the Strait of Hormuz open in case a war breaks out with Iran.

Washington and Tel Aviv accuse Iran of running a nuclear military program. Israel has threatened Tehran that it would use force in case the Islamic Republic continues nuclear enrichment.

According to New York Times sources in the Pentagon, Israel might have staged a military maneuver in early June to prepare for a unilateral air strike on Iranian nuclear sites.

Tehran insists its nuclear program is directed at electricity generation and is in line with the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT).

Iran's army chief, Major General Hassan Firouzabadi, warned on Saturday that if a military action is taken against the country, Tehran would not hesitate to take all crucial measures, one of which is to close the strategic oil passage.

The strategically vital Strait of Hormuz, between Iran and Oman, is an essential conduit for energy supplies. As much as 40 percent of the world's sea-transited crude oil passes through the waterway.

MD/AA