Washington is also preparing to put Marines and navy personnel aboard commercial tankers in the Gulf. The US said last month it would deploy a destroyer, F-35 and F-16 warplanes, and a marine expeditionary unit to the Middle East to deter Iran from seizing ships in the Gulf.

Those incidents came after Israel and the US blamed Iran for a drone strike off the coast of Oman in November on a tanker operated by an Israeli-owned company. In April and early May, Iran seized two oil tankers within a week in regional waters. Tehran said one of the tankers, the Bahamian-flagged Richmond Voyager, had collided with an Iranian vessel and injured five crew.

The latest deployment came after US forces blocked two attempts by Iran to seize commercial tankers in international waters off Oman on July 5. The Carter Hall, a dock landing ship, transports Marines and their equipment, and lands them ashore. Tim Hawkins said.īataan is an amphibious assault ship that can carry fixed-wing aircraft, helicopters and landing craft. The deployment adds to efforts “to deter destabilizing activity and de-escalate regional tensions caused by Iran’s harassment and seizures of merchant vessels,” spokesman Cdr. The new US forces arrived on board USS Bataan and USS Carter Hall, providing “greater flexibility and maritime capability,” the US Fifth Fleet in Bahrain said on Monday.

The Pentagon says Iran has either seized or attempted to take control of nearly 20 internationally flagged ships in the region over the past two years. JEDDAH: The US has deployed two warships and more than 3,000 sailors and Marines to the Red Sea in a ramped-up response from Washington to the threat to commercial shipping by Iran.

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