Arrival comes days after reports said Washington was considering sending armed personnel to Strait of Hormuz
More than 3,000 American sailors and marines arrived in the Middle East on Monday, the US Navy announced, as Washington beefs up its presence in the Gulf amid rising tension with Iran.
The navy said the increased presence “brings to the region additional aviation and naval assets, as well as more US marines and sailors, providing greater flexibility and maritime capability to US 5th Fleet”.
The deployment comes days after the Associated Press reported that Washington was considering putting armed personnel on commercial ships travelling through the Strait of Hormuz – an unprecedented action aimed at stopping Iran from seizing and harassing civilian vessels.
Iran’s elite IRGC military force unveils long-range missiles near Hormuz strait
Meanwhile, the spokesman for the US Fifth Fleet Tim Hawkins, told Al-Sharq news on Monday that “the security of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz is a priority for the United States” and accused Tehran of “repeatedly threatening the security of navigation over the past two years”.
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