US commander says Mideast buildup prompted Iran 'step back'

Iran has chosen to "step back and recalculate" after making preparations for an apparent attack against US forces in the Persian Gulf region, but it is too early to conclude the threat is gone, the top commander of American forces in the Mideast said Thursday.

In an interview with three reporters accompanying him to the Gulf, Gen. Frank McKenzie said he remains concerned by Iran's potential for aggression, and he would not rule out requesting additional US forces to bolster defenses against Iranian missiles or other weapons.

"I don't actually believe the threat has diminished," McKenzie said. "I believe the threat is very real."
"And if they want to talk, that's fine," the U.S. president said. "We'll talk. But the one thing that they can't have is they can't have nuclear weapons."
He said the intelligence on Iranian threats in the first days of May was "compelling" and that the threats were "advanced, imminent and very specific."
Dunford said on May 3, the US sent a message to Iranian officials "just to make it clear they understood that we would hold them accountable should something take place in the region."