U.S. allies plan big Gulf naval exercise in May

DUBAI (Reuters) - The United States and its allies will stage a naval exercise in the Gulf in May to practise minesweeping and escorting ships, the U.S. Navy said on Monday, a manoeuvre likely to be seen in the region as guarding against a potential threat from Iran.

Representatives from more than 30 nations will gather in Bahrain for the International Mine Countermeasures Exercise (IMCMEX) 13 from May 6-30, eight months after they staged a previous edition of the exercises at a time when Israel and Iran were trading threats of war.