U.S. Navy warships stationed inside the Persian Gulf space have elevated their patrols via the Strait of Hormuz, the busy service supplier ship passageway, in response to newest strikes by Iran to seize two oil tankers, the most recent sign of rising tensions between Iran and america.
Irans actions are unacceptable, Vice Adm. Brad Cooper, the commander of U.S. naval forces inside the space, said in an interview on Monday on the Navy base proper right here in Bahrain. He was speaking a lot of days after he rode a Navy guided-missile destroyer via the strait of Hormuz, along with leaders from the French and British navies, in an effort to ship a unified message to Iran.
Iran has harassed, attacked or interfered with 15 internationally flagged service supplier ships since 2021, Pentagon and White Residence officers said this month, as they launched the switch to increase patrols by U.S. Navy ships, drones and planes, along with these of United States allies inside the space.
Most simply recently, Irans Navy flew a helicopter over the deck of an oil tanker named Profit Sweet in late April. The Marshall Islands-flagged ship had been chartered by Chevron, on its strategy to Houston from Kuwait, and consistent with Lloyds Report, which tracks transport, was carrying 750,000 barrels of crude oil.