War Games Begin; U.S. Sends Carrier

Iran’s navy launched major maneuvers in the Persian Gulf days before the U.S. aircraft carrier Nimitz is scheduled to arrive in the region. The war games are meant to “display Iran’s capability and increasing strength . . . in the face of the onslaught of foreigners,” said Iranian television, which showed battleships, helicopters and submarines moving into place for the exercises. The region has been tense since Sept. 29, when Iranian warplanes bombed two Iranian insurgent bases in southern Iraq, violating the “no-fly” zone created by the United States and its allies.