Posted on Apr 30, 2015
What are your thoughts about U.S. ships entering Iranian Waters?
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I for one think this is a good idea considering Iran has been stiring the pot.
Washington (CNN)CNN has learned that U.S. Navy warships will now accompany U.S.-flagged commercial vessels that pass through the Strait of Hormuz due to concerns that ships from Iran's Revolutionary Guard Corps navy could try to seize a U.S. cargo ship.
Pentagon officials provided clarification Thursday afternoon that not every ship will necessarily be accompanied by the Navy. But this is still a significant change in the U.S. military posture in the Strait.
The classified plan was approved by the Pentagon earlier Thursday, according to a senior defense official.
While the Navy maintains a routine ship presence in the Persian Gulf and the North Arabian Sea, this new effort specifically requires an armed warship to be in the narrow channel between Iran and Oman when a U.S. commercial vessel passes through.
The decision to go ahead with this plan comes as Iran Revolutionary Guard ships harassed a U.S.-flagged vessel, the Maersk Kensington, on Friday and then later seized another cargo ship, the Maersk Tigris, flagged in the Marshall Islands.
READ: First on CNN: U.S.-flagged ship intercepted by Iranian patrol
The worry is that with the uncertainty around Iran's intentions, any seizure of a U.S.-flagged vessel could provoke an international incident with Iran.
"This is a way to reduce the risk of confrontation," the official told CNN.
The official emphasized the Navy is not trying to "play up" the current situation, but said the orders were approved "based on tensions in the region."
A second U.S. official said if it becomes necessary, U.S. warships are prepared to escort U.S. commercial vessels throughout the entire Gulf.
There are a number of U.S. ships and aircraft in the immediate vicinity, including four ships and several aircraft monitoring the status of the Marshall Island vessel, which remains in Iranian custody allegedly over a 2005 financial dispute. U.S. Navy ships will be moved in and out of the area depending on the transit schedule of U.S. cargo vessels.
http://www.cnn.com/2015/04/30/politics/us-navy-escort-cargo-ships-iran-strait-of-hormuz/index.htmltp://http://www.cnn.com/2015/04/24/politics/iranian-convoy-ships-leave-yemen/
Washington (CNN)CNN has learned that U.S. Navy warships will now accompany U.S.-flagged commercial vessels that pass through the Strait of Hormuz due to concerns that ships from Iran's Revolutionary Guard Corps navy could try to seize a U.S. cargo ship.
Pentagon officials provided clarification Thursday afternoon that not every ship will necessarily be accompanied by the Navy. But this is still a significant change in the U.S. military posture in the Strait.
The classified plan was approved by the Pentagon earlier Thursday, according to a senior defense official.
While the Navy maintains a routine ship presence in the Persian Gulf and the North Arabian Sea, this new effort specifically requires an armed warship to be in the narrow channel between Iran and Oman when a U.S. commercial vessel passes through.
The decision to go ahead with this plan comes as Iran Revolutionary Guard ships harassed a U.S.-flagged vessel, the Maersk Kensington, on Friday and then later seized another cargo ship, the Maersk Tigris, flagged in the Marshall Islands.
READ: First on CNN: U.S.-flagged ship intercepted by Iranian patrol
The worry is that with the uncertainty around Iran's intentions, any seizure of a U.S.-flagged vessel could provoke an international incident with Iran.
"This is a way to reduce the risk of confrontation," the official told CNN.
The official emphasized the Navy is not trying to "play up" the current situation, but said the orders were approved "based on tensions in the region."
A second U.S. official said if it becomes necessary, U.S. warships are prepared to escort U.S. commercial vessels throughout the entire Gulf.
There are a number of U.S. ships and aircraft in the immediate vicinity, including four ships and several aircraft monitoring the status of the Marshall Island vessel, which remains in Iranian custody allegedly over a 2005 financial dispute. U.S. Navy ships will be moved in and out of the area depending on the transit schedule of U.S. cargo vessels.
http://www.cnn.com/2015/04/30/politics/us-navy-escort-cargo-ships-iran-strait-of-hormuz/index.htmltp://http://www.cnn.com/2015/04/24/politics/iranian-convoy-ships-leave-yemen/
Politics
Iran
Edited >1 y ago
Posted >1 y ago
Responses: 4
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Most ship traffic entering or leaving the Persian Gulf pass through the Straits of Hormuz, which is predominantly Iranian territorial waters. We are able to act this way because we have the Naval power to get away with it, if Iranian warships were entering US territorial waters to ensure we didn't interfere with Iranian flagged cargo ships... I doubt we would stand for it.
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SSG (Join to see)
I'm sure most nations have felt exceptional at times, what really matters (IMO) is the degree to which they can back up that concept with real power.
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I hope they all have a full load of Tomahawk Cruise Missiles. I think we need to do whatever is necessary to maintain the freedom of the oceans, seas, and waterways.
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Got no problem with it....hopefully they will enter their airspace and smoke em
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Everyone appears to be overlooking that the ship was not "seized by the Iranian Navy", but rather was "arrested by the Iranian Navy" pursuant to a lawfully obtained civil judgment against the ship's owners.
Well, either that or the consensus is that foreign countries are not allowed to enforce their own laws if the government of the United States of America doesn't want them to.
Wasn't there some sort of an incident where the USN threatened to sink Russian ships, carrying out lawful commerce, in international waters when those Russian ships weren't even close to American territory back in the 1960s?
Well, either that or the consensus is that foreign countries are not allowed to enforce their own laws if the government of the United States of America doesn't want them to.
Wasn't there some sort of an incident where the USN threatened to sink Russian ships, carrying out lawful commerce, in international waters when those Russian ships weren't even close to American territory back in the 1960s?
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