USA: Officials claim that the Pentagon will send more resources to the region to patrol commercial shipping lanes and guard private vessels from Iran as part of the US military's preparations to strengthen its "defence posture" in the Persian Gulf.
John Kirby, a spokesman for the National Security Council, made the announcement on Friday, telling reporters the Defence Department "will be making a series of moves to bolster our defensive posture in the Arabian Gulf," a different name for the Persian Gulf.
In the last two years, 15 foreign-flagged vessels in the area have allegedly been attacked or harassed, according to US officials, who have labelled the actions "destabilising."
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The US Navy denounced the Islamic Republic's seizure of two oil tankers with registrations in Panama and the Marshall Islands in just one week between late April and early May.
Vice Admiral Brad Cooper, who is in charge of the naval forces of the 5th Fleet, said in a statement on Friday that Iran's unjustified, reckless, and illegal seizure and harassment of merchant vessels "must stop.
The US Central Command (CENTCOM), which is in charge of overseeing activities in the Middle East, also stated that it is currently "working with regional allies and partners to increase the rotation of ships and aircraft patrolling in and around the Strait of Hormuz."
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The strait, which is surrounded by Iran, the United Arab Emirates, and Oman, serves as a hub for the annual transit of about one fifth of the world's oil products.
The Pentagon said US warships will conduct "heightened patrols" around the gulf but provided few other details about what the increased military presence would entail. The choice will be made after "consulting with our allies," according to a CENTCOM spokesperson, and it will be "consistent with the collective desire to ensure the safety and freedom of navigation for all nations."
Tehran has previously charged the US with "warmongering" and inflaming tensions by sending ships and submarines to the area. Iranian officials claimed on Friday that their military had taken control of a tanker that had been rented out illegally by a foreigner.