(AFP File Photo)
The US Embassy in Cairo released a statement on Saturday denying any intention to invade Egypt.
“We deny false claims in Egyptian press that US naval ships are in the vicinity of the Arabian Peninsula and the Suez Canal to militarily invade Egypt,” the statement read.
Two US navy ships moved closer to the Red Sea coast on Thursday, raising suspicions and prompting some report to speculate this came in preparation for military action.
“The United States has forces regularly deployed in the vicinity of the Arabian Peninsula, and US vessels regularly pass through the Suez Canal en route to the Indian Ocean or the Mediterranean Sea,” the statement read.
Marine Corps Commandant General James Amos told the Center for Strategic and International Studies think tank on Thursday that the two ships were part of a three-ship amphibious readiness group; the third ship was just off the Bahraini coast.
Amos said that the ships had been in the region since May and that there were no new orders to prepare for a possible conflict in Egypt, according to Reuters.
The US often sends navy vessels to within close range of countries, a procedure usually taken in preparation for evacuation of US citizens.
