Dubai: In accordance with American officials who spoke to The Associated Press on Thursday, the US military is thinking about stationing armed personnel on commercial ships passing through the Strait of Hormuz in an unprecedented move to prevent Iran from boarding and harassing civilian ships.
Iran has been seizing ships in the Strait of Hormuz, the narrow entrance to the Arabian Gulf, since 2019 as part of its efforts to exert pressure on the West over talks regarding its failed nuclear agreement with major powers. Putting US troops on commercial ships may help to reduce tensions by discouraging Iran from seizing ships.
In addition, as the Pentagon tries to concentrate on Russia and China, the proposed move would represent an extraordinary commitment by US forces in the Middle East. The so-called "Tanker War," which culminated in the US Navy and Iran fighting a one-day naval battle in 1988 that was the Navy's largest since World War II, didn't even see America take the action.
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Although officials provided few details about the plan, it comes as thousands of Marines and sailors are travelling to the Arabian Gulf on the USS Carter Hall, a landing ship, and the USS Bataan, an amphibious assault ship. All armed guard missions in the strait, through which 20% of the world's crude oil travels, could be supported by those Marines and sailors.
In response to an AP request for comment regarding the US proposal, the Iranian mission to the UN did not provide any information. But hours later, citing this AP report, Iran's state-run IRNA news agency acknowledged the proposal.
Five US officials acknowledged the proposal's general details while speaking on the record to discuss it. The officials emphasised that no decision had been made definitively and that talks between US military officials and the country's Gulf Arab allies were still ongoing.
According to officials, the participating ships would have to request security from the Marines and Navy sailors. According to one official, the procedure is complicated and any deployment most likely needs the consent of both the nation where the ship is registered and the nation where its flag is flying. That hasn't happened yet, and the official said it might take some time.
When asked about the plans at the Pentagon, Brigadier General Pat Ryder would only respond that he had nothing to announce. In a broader sense, though, he pointed out that more ships, planes, and Marines have been sent to the Gulf, making it simpler to react quicker to any Iranian provocations.
According to him, the goal of the US and its partners' effort is to make sure "the Strait of Hormuz remains open, there is freedom of navigation, and we are discouraging any type of malicious activity."
Speaking to reporters, John Kirby, a spokesman for the White House National Security Council, emphasised the significance of the strait and US worries about Iranian vessel harassment there.
The Strait of Hormuz is a crucial seaway that significantly affects international seaborne trade, according to Kirby. "In the maritime industry, it is a crucial chokepoint. Iran has also threatened to affect that chokepoint, as well.
Vice Adm. Brad Cooper, commander of the Navy's 5th Fleet stationed in the Middle East, met with the GCC chief earlier on Thursday. Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates are the six countries that make up the group.
Although the proposal was not mentioned in a GCC statement about the meeting, it was noted that Cooper and officials talked about "strengthening GCC-US cooperation and working with international and regional partners."
The Pentagon stated that the mission of the Bataan and Carter Hall, which departed Norfolk, Virginia, on July 10, was "in response to recent attempts by Iran to threaten the free flow of commerce in the Strait of Hormuz and its surrounding waters." Last week, the Bataan travelled to the Middle East and crossed the Strait of Gibraltar into the Mediterranean Sea.
The US has already dispatched A-10 Thunderbolt II fighters, F-16 and F-35 fighters, the destroyer USS Thomas Hudner, and other warships to the region in response to Iran's maritime activities.
Iran has expressed concern over the deployment, with its chief diplomat telling neighbouring countries that the region doesn't require "foreigners" to provide security. In a surprise military exercise on disputed islands in the Arabian Gulf on Wednesday, Iran's paramilitary Revolutionary Guard deployed hordes of small fast boats, paratroopers, and missile units.
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In response to the failure of its 2015 nuclear deal, Iran is now enriching uranium closer than ever to levels suitable for use in weapons. Additionally, according to international inspectors, it has enough enriched uranium to make "several" nuclear bombs if it so chooses. The US intelligence community believes Tehran is not working to develop an atomic bomb, despite Iran's insistence that its programme is for peaceful purposes.
The US has also hunted down ships thought to be transporting Iranian oil that has been subject to sanctions. A ship allegedly carrying Iranian oil is currently stranded off Texas because no company has yet to unload it due to concerns in the oil industry over another seizure by Iran.