US sends more fighter jets and warship to Gulf after Iran attempts to seize tankers

The Guardian-July18th,2023

The US is sending additional fighter jets and a warship to the Strait of Hormuz and Gulf of Oman to increase security after Iranian attempts to seize commercial ships.

The latest deployments come after Iran tried to seize two oil tankers near the strait this month, opening fire on one of them. The aircraft are intended to give air cover for the commercial ships moving through the waterway and increase the military’s visibility in the area, as a deterrent to Iran.

The Pentagon said on Monday that the USS Thomas Hudner, a destroyer, and a number of F-35 fighter jets would head to the area. The Hudner had previously been in the Red Sea.

Sabrina Singh, a Pentagon spokeswoman, said it was not clear how long the ship and the aircraft would remain in the region. “In light of this continued threat and in coordination with our partners and allies, the department is increasing our presence and ability to monitor the strait and surrounding waters,” Singh told Pentagon reporters during a briefing.

Defence officials earlier announced the deployment of F-16s to the area over the past weekend, and there have been A-10 attack aircraft there for nearly two weeks in response to the Iranian activity.

The US navy said in both the instances this month the Iranian naval vessels backed off when the USS McFaul, a guided-missile destroyer, arrived on the scene. The navy said the McFaul remained in the Gulf region to continue protection of the shipping lanes.

The US navy says Iran has seized at least five commercial vessels in the past two years and has harassed more than a dozen others. Many of the incidents have occurred in and around the Strait of Hormuz, the narrow mouth of the Gulf through which 20% of all crude oil passes.

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