South Front
Ensign Gordon Kitchener looks out from the bridge of the guided-missile destroyer USS Paul Hamilton (DDG 60), May 9, 2023 in the Arabian Gulf. (Photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Elliot Schaudt)
The United States 5th Fleet is working with regional allies and partners to increase the rotation of ships and aircraft patrolling in and around the Strait of Hormuz in response to the recent seizure of two oil tankers by Iran, the U.S. Naval Forces Central Command (NAVCENT) announced on May 12.
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.
In a statement, NAVCENT said that the 5th Fleet will also bolster international maritime security collaboration among the International Maritime Security Construct and European Maritime Awareness in the Strait of Hormuz.
“Iran’s unwarranted, irresponsible and unlawful seizure and harassment of merchant vessels must stop,” said Vice Admiral Brad Cooper, commander of NAVCENT, U.S. 5th Fleet and Combined Maritime Forces. “U.S. 5th Fleet and our partners are committed to protecting navigational rights in these critical waters.”
According to the command, Iran attacked or interfered with the navigational rights of 15 internationally flagged merchant vessels over the past two years.
Iran captured Advantage Sweet and Niovi in response to the recent seizure of an Iranian oil shipment by the U.S. 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, according to Reuters and other sources.
Tensions between the U.S. and Iran appear to be mounting again. The Persian Gulf remains one of the focal points of the standoff between the two sides.
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