February 14, 2012 – IRAN - The U.S. aircraft carrier Abraham Lincoln has sailed through the Strait of Hormuz, close to the coast of Iran, for the second time in recent weeks. A BBC reporter on board said an Iranian patrol boat at one point passed by two miles (3.2km) from the carrier. The carrier was protected by a U.S. cruiser and destroyer. Iranian officials recently threatened to close the channel, through which 20% of the world's oil exports pass, in a row over oil trade embargoes. The BBC's Jonathan Beale on board the Abraham Lincoln says the U.S. has insisted it will keep the vital shipping lane open. Earlier, the U.S. navy said the Iranian patrol boat passed within about half a mile of the carrier, but they later corrected this to two miles. A French warship and UK naval vessels accompanied the aircraft carrier in a journey through the strait last month. The EU last month banned all oil imports from Iran amid growing concern over Tehran's nuclear program. Both the U.S. and EU have since lobbied countries around the world to block Iranian oil imports. Iran says its nuclear program is solely for power generation, but Western nations fear Tehran is trying to develop a weapons capability. -BBC