A US official said Thursday that the US is prepared to deploy sailors and Marines onboard commercial tankers transiting the Gulf as part of steps to discourage Iran from seizing ships.
The security personnel would give another layer of protection to the tankers, as well as the warships and planes operating in the strategically important area, through which approximately one-fifth of the world’s oil passes.
“There is an effort… to employ security details composed of both Marines and Navy sailors on commercial tankers transiting in and near the Strait of Hormuz as an added layer of defense for these vulnerable ships,” the official told AFP on condition of anonymity.
Because the ships are private, an invitation is required, but “we are undergoing preparations to execute should final agreements be in place to do that,” the official added.
The US is beefing up its forces in the region, announcing last month that it would send a destroyer, F-35 and F-16 fighter planes, as well as a 3,000-person Amphibious Readiness Group/Marine Expeditionary Unit.
According to the US Navy, Iran has taken or attempted to seize control of over 20 international flagged ships in the region during the last two years.
On July 5, Washington said its forces prevented Iran from seizing two commercial tankers in international waters off the coast of Oman, while Tehran grabbed control of a commercial ship the next day.
Iran seized two tankers in area waters within a week in April and early May, and Tehran is also suspected of launching a drone strike against an Israeli-owned tanker in November 2022.
Since 2018, when then-US President Donald Trump withdrew out of the Iran nuclear deal and reimposed crushing sanctions on the Islamic republic, tensions have skyrocketed.
