A Pentagon spokesperson highlighted that “nobody here at the department is oblivious to the fact that Iran continues to be a malign actor in the region”, adding: “no problem in the Middle East is easier to solve with Iran having a nuclear weapon. So, we continue to support the work of our diplomats as they try to get a new agreement here on their nuclear development. But even with all that support, we still have a fundamental obligation to protect our security interests in the Middle East and those of our allies and partners there. And that's why we still have a robust presence on the ground and at sea in the Middle East”.