U.S. could offer armed troops to commercial vessels in Strait of Hormuz- officials


  • World
  • Friday, 04 Aug 2023

FILE PHOTO: Fast-attack crafts from Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Navy swarming Panama-flagged oil tanker Niovi as it transits the Strait of Hormuz from Dubai to port of Fujairah in the United Arab Emirates, Arabian Gulf early hours of May 3, 2023, are seen in this screenshot of a video shot provided by U.S. Navy on May 3, 2023. U.S. Naval Forces Central Command / U.S. 5th Fleet/Handout via REUTERS/File Photo

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The United States could soon offer to put armed sailors and Marines on commercial ships traveling through the Gulf's Strait of Hormuz, two U.S. officials said on Thursday, amid alleged attempts by Iran to hijack ships in international waters.

The Pentagon last month sent additional F-35 and F-16 fighter jets along with a warship to the Middle East in a bid to monitor key waterways in the region following Iran's seizure and harassment of commercial shipping vessels.

After taking a commercial tanker last month, Tehran said it had an order from an Iranian court to seize a tanker in Gulf waters. The Strait of Hormuz is between Iran and Oman.

In May, the White House announced that the Biden administration would be making moves in the region, but at the time did not say what they would include.

One official, speaking on the condition of anonymity, said the military had already been training some Marines in the Middle East to be on the vessels.

But the official said it would ultimately be up to commercial vessels whether to request troops for parts of a journey that were particularly dangerous in the Strait of Hormuz.

In July, the U.S. Navy said it intervened to prevent Iran from seizing two commercial tankers in the Gulf of Oman.

Since 2019, there have been a series of attacks on shipping in strategic Gulf waters at times of tension between the United States and Iran.

About a fifth of the world's crude oil and oil products passes through the Strait of Hormuz.

With the 2015 Iran nuclear deal effectively dead, Iran's relations with the West have deteriorated over the last year, leading Washington and its allies to look for ways to de-escalate tensions and a way to revive some kind of nuclear limits.

(Reporting by Idrees Ali and Phil Stewart; Editing by Cynthia Osterman)

Follow us on our official WhatsApp channel for breaking news alerts and key updates!
   

Next In World

Russian tank factory employee jailed for 16 years in Ukraine treason case
Colombia to buy Saab fighter aircraft, Swedish public radio reports
Nigeria court frees 119 protesters after government drops charges
Greek court detains man pending trial over Athens apartment blast
Greece mulls migrant facility on Rhodes to tackle rise in arrivals
Doing nothing not an option, German liberals tell coalition allies
Spain earmarks 10.6 billion euros in loans, grants to flood victims
Polls open in US as millions prepare to vote
Bluetongue virus threatens Sardinia's historic sheep farming industry
G7 and allies warn Russia over use of North Korean troops in Ukraine

Others Also Read