Now that is a really ‘Big Stick’.

Message to Iran: U.S. sends nuclear submarine through Strait of Hormuz

In this photo made available by the U.S. Navy, the guided-missile submarine USS Georgia, front, with the guided-missile cruiser USS Port Royal, transit the Strait of Hormuz in Persian Gulf, Monday, Dec. 21, 2020. The vessels traversed the strategically vital waterway between Iran and the Arabian Peninsula on Monday, the U.S. Navy said, a rare announcement that comes amid rising tensions with Iran. (Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Indra Beaufort/U.S. Navy via AP)

The U.S. Navy on Monday sailed a nuclear-powered submarine through the Strait of Hormuz, sending an unmistakable message to Iran just a day after U.S. officials blamed Iran-backed militias for a rocket attack on the American embassy complex in Iraq.

The Navy’s demonstration of force in the strategically vital waterway comes as tensions rise between the U.S. and Iran. The military’s strong naval presence in the Persian Gulf also serves as a reminder of the Pentagon’s global reach, even as the number of American ground forces in nearby countries such as Afghanistan and Iraq decrease during the final weeks of President Trump’s tenure.

The Navy’s Fifth Fleet said the Ohio-class guided-missile submarine USS Georgia, along with the missile cruisers USS Port Royal and USS Philippine Sea, moved through the Strait of Hormuz and into the Persian Gulf.