American Escort for Commercial Ships Transiting the Strait of Hormuz

Two American officials indicated today, Thursday, that the United States may soon offer to place armed sailors and Marine Corps forces aboard commercial ships transiting the Strait of Hormuz amid reports of Iranian attempts to seize ships in international waters. One official noted that the military has already trained some Marine Corps soldiers in the Middle East to be onboard the vessels, emphasizing that it ultimately depends on the commercial ships to request forces to be aboard during certain perilous segments of their journey through the Strait of Hormuz. The U.S. Navy stated in July that it intervened to prevent Iran from detaining two commercial tankers in the Gulf of Oman. Since 2019, a series of attacks on shipping in the strategic Gulf waters have occurred during times of heightened tension between the United States and Iran.