US Military May Place Armed Troops On Commercial Ships To Guard Against Iran Seizure Attempts: REPORT
Micaela Burrow on August 3, 2023
The U.S. military may send armed sailors and Marines to guard commercial ships transiting the Strait of Hormuz, a sensitive waterway that has become a perilous waypoint as Iran has escalated attempts to take control of commercial ships, The Associated Press reported.
Never before has the U.S. stationed armed military personnel on commercial vessels, a tactic intended to ward off the Iranian Navy’s increasingly brazen efforts to seize internationally-flagged vessels sailing through the Strait that is indispensable to global economic functioning, the AP reported, citing four American officials familiar with the plan. Last month, the U.S. announced it would deploy thousands of Marines to the U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) region to bolster deterrence efforts that could be the foundation of a potential guard mission.
Officials offered few details of the plan, which is not yet formally approved, according to the AP. Discussions with Arab partners in the Gulf region are ongoing, the officials added.
Navy sailors and Marines would only provide security at the explicit request of the ship involved, they said.
The Department of Defense (DOD) announced thousands of Marines representing the 26th Marine Expeditionary Unit will soon join CENTCOM forces along with amphibious warships USS Bataan and USS Carter Hall, according to U.S. Naval Institute News. DOD said the units would bring additional aviation, maritime assets and U.S. Marines to bolster security in the region “in response to recent attempts by Iran to threaten the free flow of commerce in the Strait of Hormuz and its surrounding waters.”
The announcement follows the recent deployment of F-16 and F-35 fighter units and a guided missile destroyer, the USS Thomas Hudner, to the region after an Iranian Navy ship tried to seize and fired at an internationally-flagged commercial tanker, CENTCOM said in a press release.
The Bataan reached the Strait of Gibraltar in the Mediterranean Sea last week, according to the AP.
Both Iran’s paramilitary guard, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), and the conventional navy have attempted to confiscate apparently commercial ships. On Wednesday, the IRGC launched surprise military exercises on disputed islands in the Persian Gulf while a senior leader emphasized there is “no need for the presence of America or its European or non-European allies in the region,” the AP reported, citing Iranian state media.
Tensions between Iran and the U.S. over control of the Hormuz reached the breaking point in 1988 in what became known as the “Tanker Wars,” according to the AP. The conflict culminated in a one-day naval battle.
Roughly 20% of the world’s crude oil supply passes through the strait, according to the AP.
DOD did not immediately respond to the Daily Caller News Foundation’s request for comment. The National Security Council referred the DCNF to DOD.
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