US Bolsters Red Sea Forces Amid Iran Attempts to Seize Tankers

A force of more than 3,000 sailors and Marines arrived at the Red Sea on Sunday aboard two Navy warships to increase the U.S.’ presence in the area amid a spike in tanker seizures by Iran.

The U.S. Navy said in a news release Monday the amphibious assault ship USS Bataan and dock landing ship USS Carter Hall entered the Red Sea after transiting from the Mediterranean through the Suez Canal. The warships are part of the Bataan Amphibious Ready Group and 26th Marine Expeditionary Unit.

“[The] units bring to the region additional aviation and naval assets, as well as more U.S. Marines and sailors, providing greater flexibility and maritime capability to U.S. 5th Fleet,” the Navy said.

On July 5, U.S. Central Command reported U.S. forces prevented the Iranian navy from seizing two merchant vessels in the Strait of Hormuz and Gulf of Oman.

“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,” Air Force Brig. Gen. Pat Ryder, the Pentagon’s press secretary, said Monday in a news release. We’re working as part of a broader coalition … on that effort.”

CENTCOM said Iran has attacked or seized about 20 merchant vessels since 2021.

Ryder said the increased U.S. presence is meant to help partners there keep open important shipping lanes such as at the Strait of Hormuz, which is a choke point between the Arabian Sea and the Persian Gulf. It also contributes further to a long-standing goal of preserving security and stability 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 said.

CENTCOM said the USS Bataan can carry more than two dozen rotary-wing and fixed-wing aircraft such as the MV-22 Osprey tilt-rotor aircraft and AV-8B Harrier attack jets, in addition to several amphibious landing craft. A dock landing ship such as the USS Carter Hall also supports operations for various rotary-wing aircraft, tactical vehicles, and amphibious landing craft.

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