The U.S. aircraft carrier "Abraham Lincoln" has sailed through the Strait of Hormuz, for the second time in recent weeks.
The vessel was protected by a U.S. cruiser and destroyer.
The ship entered the Persian Gulf last month amid heightened tensions with Iran over its nuclear program.
The United States has insisted it would keep the vital shipping lane open as Iran threatened to close the narrow strait in retaliation for tighter Western sanctions.
One-fifth of the world's oil exports pass through the strait which links the Persian Gulf with the Arabian Sea.
The "Abraham Lincoln" is scheduled to begin aiding the NATO-led mission in Afghanistan starting February 16.
Compiled from agency reports
The vessel was protected by a U.S. cruiser and destroyer.
The ship entered the Persian Gulf last month amid heightened tensions with Iran over its nuclear program.
The United States has insisted it would keep the vital shipping lane open as Iran threatened to close the narrow strait in retaliation for tighter Western sanctions.
One-fifth of the world's oil exports pass through the strait which links the Persian Gulf with the Arabian Sea.
The "Abraham Lincoln" is scheduled to begin aiding the NATO-led mission in Afghanistan starting February 16.
Compiled from agency reports