US military statement: Confirms an increase in troops! Middle East | Strait of Hormuz | US military
On the 20th local time, US officials revealed that the Pentagon will deploy an amphibious readiness group consisting of three warships and a Marine Expeditionary Force to the Middle East to deter Iran in the Strait of Hormuz and nearby waters.
An unnamed US official told the Associated Press that US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin approved this military deployment on the 20th. The additional combat readiness group includes the amphibious assault ship Bataan Island, the dock transport ship Ford Terrace, and the dock landing ship Carter Hall, which left Norfolk Naval Base in Virginia earlier this month.
The 26th Expeditionary Force of the Marine Corps will be deployed to the Middle East along with the ship. According to the Associated Press, the size of an expedition team is usually around 2500 people.
The US Department of Defense and the Central Command issued a statement on the same day, confirming the increase in troops to the Gulf region, stating that the purpose is to "deter Iran.".
In recent weeks, the Pentagon has approved the deployment of the Thomas Hardner missile destroyer and multiple F-35 and F-16 fighter jets to the Gulf. The US military has also deployed A-10 attack aircraft multiple times, claiming their mission is to provide air cover for commercial ships passing through the Strait of Hormuz and enhance the US military's presence in the Gulf region.
According to the Associated Press, Iran attempted to intercept two oil tankers in the Strait of Hormuz earlier this month and opened fire on one of them. Iran has not confirmed any relevant information.
According to the Islamic Republic of Iran News Agency, the Iranian Islamic Revolutionary Guard detained a foreign oil tanker in the Strait of Hormuz in May this year, claiming it violated the rules, but did not provide a detailed explanation of the specific reasons.