US deploys more warships and 2500 marines to Gulf to counter Iran’s ship seizure efforts

July 21, 2023

FILE - This still image taken from surveillance video from a U.S. Navy Boeing P-8 Poseidon shows three Iranian Revolutionary Guard fast-attack vessels near a commercial ship in the Strait of Hormuz, June 4, 2023. The U.S. is sending additional fighter jets and a warship to the Strait of Hormuz and Gulf of Oman to increase security in the wake of Iranian attempts to seize commercial ships there. The U.S. Navy says Iran has seized at least five commercial vessels in the last two years and has harassed more than a dozen others. (U.S. Navy via AP, File)

US is deploying more warships and thousands of marines to bolster security in the region
A-10 attack aircraft have also been present in the region for several weeks
Iran tried to seize two oil tankers near the Strait of Hormuz early this month, opening fire on one of them

WASHINGTON: In response to Iranian attempts to seize commercial ships in the Middle East, the US is deploying more warships and thousands of marines to bolster security in the region.

US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin approved the deployment of the USS Bataan amphibious readiness group and the 26th Marine Expeditional Unit to the Gulf area, as per US officials. The readiness group, comprising three ships including the Bataan, an amphibious assault ship, will be accompanied by an expeditional unit typically consisting of about 2,500 Marines.

US Central Command stated that this deployment will provide “even greater flexibility and maritime capability in the region.” Although the announcement did not specify the ships, US officials confidentially disclosed the units involved in the deployment to discuss troop movements.

The group, which includes the USS Mesa Verde and the USS Carter Hall alongside the Bataan, recently left Norfolk, Virginia. It remains uncertain if all three ships will proceed into the Gulf region.

This move follows recent decisions to send the USS Thomas Hudner, a destroyer, along with several F-35 and F-16 fighter jets to the area. In response to Iranian activity, A-10 attack aircraft have also been present in the region for several weeks.

Earlier this month, Iran made an attempt to seize two oil tankers near the Strait of Hormuz and opened fire on one of them. The deployment of fighter aircraft aims to provide air cover for commercial ships navigating the waterway and increase the military’s presence in the region as a deterrent to Iran.

Gen. Erik Kurilla, head of Central Command, emphasized that the additional forces “provide unique capabilities, which, alongside our partner nations in the region, further safeguard the free flow of international commerce and uphold the rules-based international order, and deter Iranian destabilizing activities in the region.”