WASHINGTON – The US navy will work to bolster the defensive posture within the Gulf area following Iran’s seizure and harassment of economic delivery vessels in current months, US officers mentioned on Friday.
In the previous two years, Iran has harassed, attacked or interfered with the navigational rights of 15 internationally flagged business vessels, officers mentioned.
“The Department of Defense will be making a series of moves to bolster our defensive posture in the Arabian Gulf,” White House spokesperson John Kirby advised a news briefing.
Kirby added that within the coming weeks there can be an try to “increase coordination and interoperability” with allies within the Strait of Hormuz.
The US Navy’s Bahrain-based Fifth Fleet mentioned it was working with regional allies to extend the rotation of ships and plane patrolling across the Strait of Hormuz.
“Iran’s unwarranted, irresponsible and unlawful seizure and harassment of merchant vessels must stop,” the Fifth Fleet’s commander, Vice Admiral Brad Cooper, mentioned in a press release.
A spokesperson from the US navy’s Florida-based Central Command, which oversees American forces within the Middle East, mentioned the United States was discussing choices with regional companions.
“Any decisions about force posture will be made after consulting with our allies and will be consistent with the collective desire to ensure the safety and freedom of navigation for all nation,” the spokesperson mentioned.
The strikes come after Iran seized a second oil tanker in every week in Gulf waters earlier this month, and the State Department referred to as for its launch within the newest escalation in a collection of actions towards business vessels in Gulf waters since 2019.
The US Navy mentioned on May 3 the Panama-flagged oil tanker Niovi was seized by Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Navy whereas passing by means of the Strait of Hormuz. Days earlier, Iran had seized a Marshall Islands-flagged oil tanker within the Gulf of Oman.
Kirby mentioned the United States strongly condemns actions that threaten and intervene with business delivery, and won’t permit international powers to jeopardize navigating Middle East waterways.
About a fifth of the world’s crude oil and oil merchandise passes by means of the Strait of Hormuz, a choke level between Iran and Oman, in line with information from analytics agency Vortexa. — Reuters
Source: www.gmanetwork.com
