U.S. leads vessel intercept exercise in Gulf

U.S. leads vessel intercept exercise in Gulf    The U.S. Navy is leading exercises in the Persian Gulf for boarding vessels suspected of transporting illegal shipments of weapons of mass destruction or their components, according to news reports.
   The exercise is being conducted under the U.S.-led Proliferation Security Initiative, designed to stop nuclear proliferation by intercepting commercial ships on the high seas suspected of smuggling nuclear weapons.
   Bahrain is participating in the practice maneuvers and South Korea is an observer.
   The exercise is taking place off the coast of Iran, which has been the target of U.S. and international pressure to halt its nuclear arms program.