US beefs up Gulf deployment over Iranian oil tanker threat
Aug 17, 2023
Manama [Bahrain], August 17: As Iranian seizures threaten oil tankers plying the Gulf, the United States is raising its military presence - a move long demanded by Gulf Arab states who accused Washington of retreating from the region. Three thousand additional US personnel on troop-landing warships have already passed through the Red Sea, and US-led maritime forces are warning ships against approaching Iranian waters. The moves follow a spate of capture and attempted capture of ships in and around the Strait of Hormuz, the U-shaped gateway to the Gulf of Oman and Arabian Sea that carries a fifth of world oil output.