Iran TerrorismUS Intends to Protect Shipping in Gulf From Iran

US Intends to Protect Shipping in Gulf From Iran

-

President Donald Trump looks to Secretary of Defense Mark Esper during a ceremony in the Oval Office at the White House

By Jubin Katiraie

The new US defence secretary said Wednesday that the military intends to protect US commercial ships against Iranian threats in the Persian Gulf, but cannot provide naval escorts in every case.

Mark Esper, who previously served as the Army’s top civilian official, said: “We will escort our ships to the degree that the risk demands it… To the degree United States vessels need an escort, we will be there, we will be available to them.

I use ‘escort’ broadly. ‘Escort’ doesn’t mean” a warship would be sailing “right behind” a commercial vessel. What I mean by it is, as I said, to the degree that circumstances warrant, that we think that maybe a U.S. ship may be under some type of threat … (of) being stopped or being seized, then we would want to make sure we have the capacity to make sure that doesn’t happen.”

He elaborated by saying that in some cases airborne surveillance may be the only monitor or that a Navy warship would be “within proximity”.

He told reporters that the aim of the US presence in the Gulf is to deter Iran from threatening any American commercial ship.

Esper said that the Iran problem must be dealt with immediately, as threats to navigation in the region have become an international issue over the past few months as Iran has responded viciously to US economic sanctions targeting its oil exports.

Just last week, Iranian Revolutionary Guards swarmed a British-flagged oil tanker in the Strait of Hormuz, forcing it to change course and head towards an Iranian port. Iran is still holding al 23 crew members, although they are reported safe and well.

After that incident, US Central Command said it had begun additional aerial patrols. The US Navy also revealed in the past week that it had destroyed one Iranian drone that had been making threatening moves against the USS Boxer in the Strait; possibly even downing a second drone.

The Trump administration wants to build an international coalition to monitor and escort commercial vessels in vulnerable waterways in the Middle East to deter Iranian provocations; a plan called “Operation Sentinel”.

In a move that Esper sees as complementary to this, Britain announced plans on Monday to develop a Europe-led “maritime protection mission” to protect shipping in the Strait of Hormuz.

Esper was confirmed by the Senate on Tuesday, ending a seven-month absence of a defense secretary.

Latest news

In the past two years, 8 million people added to Iran’s poor population

According to information analyzed by the state-run Etemad newspaper regarding poverty rate data, a 10% increase in the poverty...

Iran: 9 Prisoners Executed in One Day

The Iranian regime executed five prisoners in Kerman prison and two prisoners in Chabahar prison on April 21. At...

Iran’s Regime Publishes Misleading Information About Unemployment Rate

The state-run Donya-e-Eqtesad newspaper has criticized the "statistic manipulation" employed by Iran's regime in its economic reports, stating that...

Regime Authorities Prevent Students From Entering Tehran Polytechnic University

Simultaneously with the implementation of the "Noor Plan" in Iran, which started on Saturday, April 20, to deal with...

Iran’s Regime Very Close to Producing Nuclear Bombs, IAEA Director Warns

Rafael Grossi, Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), told Germany's state-run network ARD television network in...

Iranian Women’s Resistance: Beyond the Veil of Hijab Enforcement

These days streets and alleys of Iran are witnessing the harassment and persecution of women by police patrols under...

Must read

Iran’s Nurses and the 89-Day Plan or Forced Labor

By Pooya Stone There is often news in Iran...

Televised Iranian confessions decried

UPI: A press freedom group Thursday condemned the showing...

You might also likeRELATED
Recommended to you