article_snippet.sent: warships to Yemen are being deployed to monitor ships traveling from Iran that could be trafficking arms to Houthi rebels in Yemen, U.S. officials told CNN, saying the move was also meant to reassure allies in the region. "
article_snippet.sent: While the Iranian ships remain in international waters, the U.S. and other partner nations can keep an eye on the Iranian ships to see if the Iranian ships move toward Yemeni territorial waters.
article_snippet.sent: The purpose of moving them is only to ensure that the shipping lanes remain open and safe.
article_snippet.sent: The Obama administration and the United States defense officials maintain the primary purpose of positioning additional the United States warships in the region is to ensure the free flow of commerce through established international shipping lanes and to ensure maritime security in the region.
article_snippet.sent: A the United States military official told CNN that aircraft from aboard the USS Theodore Roosevelt are also conducting "manned reconnaissance" to monitor all maritime traffic moving through the area the USS Theodore Roosevelt is operating in to determine what is going on there in order to assist in making informed decisions.
article_snippet.sent: A U.S. military official stressed that the repositioning of the United States ships in the region was taken in order to assure the freedom of navigation through established international shipping lanes and ensuring maritime security and not to interdict Iranian ships.
article_snippet.sent: The Roosevelt aircraft carrier and the guided missile cruiser USS Normandy were the two ships the Navy moved into the waters off the coast of Yemen on Sunday.
article_snippet.sent: At this stage, there are nine U.S. naval ships operating off the coast of Yemen in Yemen.
article_snippet.sent: U.S. warships from the carrier group of the Roosevelt are joining allied vessels from Saudi Arabia, Egypt and other partner nations prepared to intercept a convoy of seven to nine Iranian vessels believed headed for Yemen.
article_snippet.sent: We are closely monitoring all maritime activity in the Arabian Sea and Gulf of Aden," Cmdr.
article_snippet.sent: CNN not going discuss the number and types of vessels CNN are monitoring or speculate about the possible destination or cargo of those vessels.
article_snippet.sent: Sayyari added that Iranian navy ships in the area were there to combat piracy and secure the safe transfer of goods through the waters.
article_snippet.sent: Earlier this month, a U.S. Navy ship consensually boarded a Panamanian-flagged vessel suspected of trafficking people, drugs or weapons.
article_snippet.sent: The U.S. warships come to a region seeing a good deal of U.S. military activity.
highlights_snippet.sent: U.S. Navy moves aircraft carrier, cruiser to waters near Yemen .
  
highlights_snippet.sent: U.S., allied ships prepared to intercept Iranian vessel if allied ships enter Yemen's waters .
  