by Shane Trejo, Big League Politics:
Sailors and Marines part of the Navy’s Bataan Amphibious Ready Group and the 26th Marine Expeditionary Unit arrived in the Middle East on August 6, 2023 as part of a pre-announced deployment to aid in alleged deterrence efforts in the Strait of Hormuz and other areas close to Iran, declared Pentagon Press Secretary Air Force Brigadier General Pat Ryder.
“As we have been for a very long time, we’re coordinating with our partners in the region when it comes to U.S. military presence because, again, it’s not just the U.S. military that’s out there patrolling commercial shipping lanes. We’re working as part of a broader coalition … on that effort,” Ryder said to reporters.
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The USS Bataan amphibious assault vessel and the USS Carter Hall dock landing vessel transported US Navy Sailors and Marines to the region.
In July, the Iranian navy attempted to seize two merchant vessels in the Strait of Hormuz and the Gulf of Oman.
Per a news report from US Central Command, on July 5, US forces already operating in Centcom’s area of responsibility were engaged in an operation to prevent two commercial tanker vessels from being seized by the Iranian navy in international waters close to the coast of Oman.
One of those vessels, the Marshall Islands-flagged oil tanker TRF Moss, was confronted by an Iranian naval vessel. However, the naval vessel fled the scene following the arrival of the US Navy guided-missile destroyer USS McFaul.
On that same day, the Bahamian-flagged oil tanker Richmond Voyager was also confronted by an Iranian naval vessel. That Iranian naval vessel was able to get within one mile of the tanker and opened fire on it using small arms and crew-operated weapons. Similar to the case of the TRF Moss, the Iranian vessel fled the scene when the USS McFaul arrived in the vicinity.
Per Centcom, Iran has assaulted or seized nearly 20 merchant vessels since 2021.
Ryder stated that the heightened US presence in the Middle East is meant to assist strategic partners in the region to keep important shipping lanes such as the Strait of Hormuz open. The Strait of Hormuz is a critical choke point between the Arabian Sea and the Persian Gulf. This choke point has been routinely used by US national security elites as a pretext for maintaining a military presence in the region.
“That’s why we’ve deployed these additional assets, to give us additional options, to speed up timelines and, again, broadly, to ensure stability,” Ryder stated.
There’s a clear push by US national security elites to escalate tensions with Iran. After all, it’s the weakest link in the Eurasian triumvirate of China-Iran-Russia due to it not possessing a nuclear arsenal that could deter outside aggression.
Moreover, the US’s foreign policy establishment is thoroughly dominated by pro-Zionist factions and their fellow travelers. As a result, there will always be some type of momentum heading towards a conflict with Iran.
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