The US military is considering sending armed personnel to commercial ships traveling through the Strait of Hormuz.in what would be an unprecedented move aimed at preventing Iran’s regime from seizing and harassing civilian ships, US officials told Associated Press Thursday.
Since 2019, the Islamic Republic has seized a series of ships in the strait, the narrow mouth of the Persian Gulf, as part of its efforts to pressure the West over negotiations on its nuclear deal. Putting US troops on commercial ships could further deter Tehran from seizing the ships, or further escalate tensions.
The plan would also represent an extraordinary commitment in the Middle East by US forces as the Pentagon tries to focus on Russia and China. The United States did not even take that step during the so-called “Tankers’ War,” which culminated in the US Navy and the Iranian regime fighting a one-day naval battle in 1988 that was the Navy’s largest since World War II.
While officials offered few details of the plan, it comes as Thousands of Marines and sailors on both the amphibious assault ship USS Bataan and the USS Carter Hall, a landing ship, head to the Persian Gulf. Those Marines and sailors could provide the backbone for any armed guard mission in the strait, through which 20% of the world’s crude oil passes.
Iran’s mission to the United Nations did not immediately respond to a request for comment from PA on the US proposal.
Five US officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss the proposal, acknowledged the plan. They stressed that no final decision has been made and that discussions continue between US military officials and US allies in the Persian Gulf and in the region.
The authorities said that Marines and Navy sailors would provide security only at the request of the ships involved. One official described the process as complex and said any deployment would likely also require approval from the country under which the ship is flagged and the country under which the owner is registered. So far, that hasn’t happened yet and might not happen for some time, the official said.
At the Pentagon, the General Pat Ryder about the plans and only said that he has no announcements to make on the matter. More generally, however, he noted that additional ships, planes and marines have been deployed to the Gulf region, making it easier to respond more quickly to any Iranian provocation.
This effort by the US and its partners, he said, is aimed at ensure that “the Strait of Hormuz remains open, there is freedom of navigation and that we are deterring any kind of malign activity”.
And White House National Security Council spokesman John Kirby, speaking to reporters, stressed the importance of the strait and US concerns about Iranian harassment of ships there.
“The Strait of Hormuz is a vital seaway that has a major impact on maritime trade around the world.Kirby said. “It is a critical bottleneck in the maritime world. And we have seen threats from Iran to affect that bottleneck.”
Early Thursday, Vice Admiral Brad Cooper, head of the Middle East-based Navy Fifth Fleet, met with the head of the Gulf Cooperation Council. The six-nation bloc includes Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.
While a GCC statement on the meeting did not hint at the proposal, it did say that Cooper and officials discussed “strengthening GCC-US cooperation and work with international and regional partners.”
The Bataan and Carter Hall departed from Norfolk, Virginia, on July 10 on a mission that the Pentagon described as “in response to recent attempts by Iran to threaten the free flow of trade in the Strait of Hormuz and its surrounding waters.”. The Bataan passed through the Strait of Gibraltar into the Mediterranean Sea last week on its way to the Middle East.
The United States has already sent fighter jets A-10 Thunderbolt II, F-16 and F-35 fightersas well as the destroyer USS Thomas Hudner and other warships to the region due to Iran’s actions at sea.
The deployment caught the attention of Iran, with its diplomatic chief telling neighboring nations that the region does not need “foreigners” to provide security. Iran’s Revolutionary Guards launched a surprise military drill on disputed islands in the Persian Gulf on Wednesday, involving swarms of small fast boats, paratroopers and missile units.
The tension between the two countries occurs when Iran enriches uranium above accepted levels and international inspectors believe that has enough enriched uranium for “several” nuclear bombs if he decides to build them. Tehran maintains that its program is for peaceful purposes.
The United States has also gone after ships around the world believed to be carrying sanctioned Iranian oil. Oil industry concerns over another seizure by Iran likely have left a ship allegedly carrying Iranian oil stranded off Texas, as no company has yet to unload it.
(With information from AP)
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Source-www.infobae.com