US Military Ponders Deploying Armed Soldiers on Commercial Ships in Strait of Hormuz to Prevent Iran from Seizing Them

The U.S. military is reportedly contemplating deploying armed personnel on commercial vessels navigating the Strait of Hormuz. This unusual step aims to halt Iran’s reported seizure and harassment of civilian ships, according to four anonymous American officials who spoke with The Big Big News on Thursday.

Since 2019, Iran has allegedly captured multiple ships traversing the narrow strait, a crucial gateway to the Persian Gulf, in an attempt to exert pressure on the West during collapsed nuclear deal discussions. Stationing U.S. soldiers on commercial ships may either dissuade Iran from capturing further vessels or potentially exacerbate existing tensions.

If executed, this move would signify an unprecedented commitment by U.S. forces in the Middle East, particularly as the Pentagon strives to focus its attention on China and Russia. It’s noteworthy that the U.S. refrained from taking such action even during the “Tanker War,” which concluded with a major naval battle between the U.S. Navy and Iran in 1988.

Although officials have yet to disclose comprehensive details of the plan, they confirmed that thousands of Marines and sailors aboard the USS Bataan, an amphibious assault ship, and the USS Carter Hall, a landing ship, are en route to the Persian Gulf. These forces could form the foundation for any armed security detail in the strait, through which one-fifth of the global crude oil supply flows.

Iran’s UN mission has not responded to the AP’s request for comment on the proposed U.S. plan.

Four U.S. officials, speaking anonymously due to the proposal’s sensitive nature, acknowledged its broad outlines. The officials emphasized that a final decision has yet to be made and discussions are ongoing between U.S. military officials and Gulf Arab allies in the region.

The officials further stated that the Marines and Navy sailors would only provide security at the specific request of the involved ships.

Earlier on Thursday, Vice Adm. Brad Cooper, commander of the Navy’s Mideast-based 5th Fleet, had a meeting with the leader of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), a coalition that includes Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates.

Although the GCC did not directly mention the proposal in their statement about the meeting, they mentioned that Cooper and officials discussed bolstering GCC-U.S. cooperation and collaborating with international and regional partners.

On July 10, the Bataan and Carter Hall embarked from Norfolk, Virginia, on a mission characterized by the Pentagon as a response to Iran’s recent attempts to threaten the free flow of commerce in the Strait of Hormuz and its adjacent waters. The Bataan sailed through the Strait of Gibraltar into the Mediterranean Sea last week, making its way toward the Mideast.

In addition, the U.S. has already dispatched A-10 Thunderbolt II warplanes, F-16 and F-35 fighters, and the destroyer USS Thomas Hudner to the region in response to Iran’s maritime activities.

These deployments have caught Iran’s attention, with its leading diplomat advising neighboring countries that foreign security forces are not necessary in the region. On Wednesday, Iran’s Revolutionary Guard initiated an unexpected military drill on disputed islands in the Persian Gulf, involving numerous small, fast boats, paratroopers, and missile units.

This fresh wave of conflict comes as Iran reportedly enriches uranium closer to weapons-grade levels than ever before following the breakdown of its 2015 nuclear deal. International inspectors believe it has amassed enough enriched uranium to construct “several” nuclear bombs, should it decide to do so. Iran insists its program is intended for peaceful purposes, and U.S. intelligence agencies maintain that Tehran is not actively seeking a nuclear weapon.

Meanwhile, the U.S. has been tracking vessels worldwide suspected of carrying sanctioned Iranian oil. Concerns in the oil industry over potential seizures by Iran have seemingly left a ship purportedly loaded with Iranian oil stranded off the coast of Texas, as no company has yet agreed to offload it.

The news was reported by Baldor from Washington.

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• Strait of Hormuz
• U.S. Military
• Iran and the Nuclear Deal
• Iran-United States Relations
• The Tanker War
• The Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC)
• USS Bataan
• USS Carter Hall