From left to right, Vice Adm. Brad Cooper, commander of U.S. Naval Forces Central Command, U.S. 5th Fleet and Combined Maritime Forces, United Kingdom Maritime Component Commander Commodore Philip Dennis and Joint Commander of the French Forces Deployed in the Indian Ocean Vice Adm. Emmanuel Slaars. (Photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Elliot Schaudt)
On May 19, the commander of the United States Navy 5th Fleet transited the Strait of Hormuz aboard guided-missile destroyer USS Paul Hamilton with naval counterparts from France and the United Kingdom.
Vice Adm. Brad Cooper, commander of U.S. Naval Forces Central Command, U.S. 5th Fleet and Combined Maritime Forces, visited the Arleigh Burke-class destroyer as the navy increased the rotation of ships and aircraft patrolling the strategic maritime choke point.
Cooper was joined by Joint Commander of the French Forces Deployed in the Indian Ocean Vice Adm. Emmanuel Slaars, and United Kingdom Maritime Component Commander Commodore Philip Dennis. While aboard, the leaders met with Paul Hamilton leadership, observed patrol operations and thanked crewmembers for their efforts.
During the transit through the narrow strait, Paul Hamilton and UK Royal Navy frigate HMS Lancaster passed one another as the three commanders observed.
“Iran has seized or attacked 15 ships in the last two years. Eight seizures and seven attacks,” Vice Adm. Brad Cooper, who oversees the US Navy’s Mideast-based 5th Fleet, told the AP. “So the shipping industry is mindful of what the security posture looks like in the region. We have the ability to positively impact that influence and that’s what we’re doing now.”
Cooper said that Iranian warships came within 1,000 yards of Paul Hamilton. The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps later confirmed that it had observed the destroyer.
From left to right, United Kingdom Maritime Component Commander Commodore Philip Dennis, Joint Commander of the French Forces Deployed in the Indian Ocean Vice Adm. Emmanuel Slaars, Vice Adm. Brad Cooper, commander of U.S. Naval Forces Central Command, U.S. 5th Fleet and Combined Maritime Forces, and Cmdr. Jake Ferrari, commanding officer of guided-missile destroyer USS Paul Hamilton (DDG 60), discuss maritime operations aboard Paul Hamilton while transiting the Strait of Hormuz, May 19, 2023. (Photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Elliot Schaudt)
Iranian naval forces seized on April 27 the U.S.-bound Marshall Islands-flagged oil tanker Advantage Sweet while it transited international waters in the Gulf of Oman. Later on May 3, the Panama-flagged oil tanker Niovi was seized while transiting from the Arabian Gulf toward the port of Fujairah in the United Arab Emirates.
The tankers were captured in response to the seizure of an Iranian oil shipment by the U.S. According to Reuters and other news sources, Washington seized the oil from the China-bound Marshall Islands-flagged tanker Suez Rajan as it was sailing near southern Africa on April 22 after securing an earlier court order.
The U.S. retaliated by announcing on May 12 that it will increase the rotation of ships and aircraft patrolling in and around the Strait of Hormuz.
The Persian Gulf remains one of the focal points of the standoff between the U.S. and Iran. Washington is now apparently trying to drag its key allies, France and the UK, into this standoff, after its top regional partners, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, opted to follow a diplomatic path and improve relations with Tehran.
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