U.S., allies take part in Gulf naval drill

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STORY: Representatives from more than 40 nations have gathered in Bahrain and waters of the Gulf region for a U.S.-led naval exercise.

Forty-one countries are taking part in the two-week International Mine Countermeasures Exercise (IMCMEX-13) to practice minesweeping and protecting ports and energy installations in the Gulf.

The exercises will include minesweeping and escorting commercial ships in a region where Iran is seen as a threat both to trade and security.

In early 2012, Iran repeatedly threatened to block the Strait of Hormuz, the narrow exit route through which most of the Gulf's oil and gas is exported, amid heightened tension with the West over Tehran's disputed nuclear development program.

But such threats have faded over the last few months, as world powers have tried to resolve their differences with Tehran through negotiations.

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