The top U.S. military commander in the Middle East said Wednesday he has seen a "bit of an uptick" in bad behavior by Iran since the nation's nuclear deal was signed in January.

ADVERTISEMENT

Army Gen. Joseph Votel said the agreement, which lifted sanctions on Iran in exchange for limits to its nuclear program, was being "implemented appropriately," but that it has not changed Iranian behavior.

"I am concerned about continued malign activities of Iran across the region," Votel, commander of U.S. Central Command, said at a forum hosted by the Foreign Policy Initiative.

Those included Iran's cyber activities, the use of surrogate forces, facilitation of lethal aid, buildup of missile and anti-access capabilities, and unprofessional and aggressive activities in the Persian Gulf, he said.

On Saturday, an Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps boat in the Persian Gulf trained a weapon at a U.S. Navy helicopter. The incident happened as the USS Eisenhower aircraft carrier transited the Strait of Hormuz.