The U.S. military is considering a plan to place armed personnel on commercial ships traveling through the Strait of Hormuz, a move aimed at preventing Iran from seizing and harassing civilian vessels, according to four American officials. This step, which wasn’t taken even during the 1988 “Tanker War,” comes amid a buildup of U.S. Marines, fighter jets, and warships in the Persian Gulf. The Marines and Navy sailors could serve as an armed guard in the strait, through which 20% of the world’s crude oil passes. No final decision has been made and discussions are ongoing with America’s Gulf Arab allies.
Key Points:
- The U.S. military is contemplating a plan to deploy armed personnel on commercial ships traveling through the Strait of Hormuz in an effort to deter Iran from harassing or seizing civilian vessels.
- Thousands of U.S. Marines, fighter jets, and warships are currently being amassed in the Persian Gulf, with the Marines and sailors potentially forming the backbone of any armed guard mission in the Strait of Hormuz, a critical oil passage.
- This would be an unprecedented step, not taken even during the 1988 “Tanker War,” a one-day naval battle between the U.S. Navy and Iran, which was the Navy’s largest since World War II.
- Iran’s Revolutionary Guard recently held a surprise military drill on disputed islands in the Persian Gulf, amid increasing U.S. military presence in the region.
- The U.S. is also pursuing ships globally believed to be carrying sanctioned Iranian oil, indicating heightened tensions and potential disruptions in global oil supply routes.
