The US Navy has begun accompanying American-flagged ships in the Strait of Hormuz, US defense officials told the Wall Street Journal on Thursday. The move is a response to Iran’s seizure of a Marshall Islands-flagged ship this week in the strait that separates the Persian Gulf from the Gulf of Oman and the Indian Ocean.
Iranian patrol boats confronted and took control of the M/V Maersk Tigris on Tuesday as it moved through the Straits.
The Navy makes a distinction between accompanying ships and escorting them, explained Fox News. Officials told the AP the Navy won't technically escort these ships but will let them know in advance that they will monitor the situation as they traverse the Strait. (READ MORE)
