US Navy Accompanies Four Ships Through Strait of Hormuz Following Iran's Seizure of Vessel

Following Iran's seizure of a Marshall Islands-flagged ship in the Strait of Hormuz, the United States Navy on Thursday, April 29, accompanied four American-flagged vessels intending to pass through the strait. According to the Associated Press, Colonel Steve Warren, a Pentagon spokesperson, stated that these ships belong to the U.S. Navy command or are contracted vessels. He mentioned that these four ships have civilian crews and their mission is to support the needs of the U.S. Navy. Colonel Patrick Ryder, a senior member of the U.S. Air Force, also announced that any ship flying the American flag can request that U.S. warships accompany them through the Strait of Hormuz. The Iranian Navy seized a cargo ship flying the Marshall Islands flag in the Persian Gulf on Tuesday, citing commercial issues as the reason. However, U.S. officials have stated that the Iranian Navy approached an American-flagged commercial vessel in the Persian Gulf last week and created 'harassment' for it. According to a report from Agence France-Presse quoting Colonel Patrick Ryder, although the current U.S. plan is to accompany American-flagged ships, discussions have also been held with other countries for the U.S. fleet to accompany their vessels as well. The Strait of Hormuz is often referred to as the most important oil export route, as approximately 30% of the world's oil exported by sea passes through this strait, equating to 17 million barrels of oil per day. The U.S. Navy stated on Thursday that it would accompany all commercial ships intending to pass through the Persian Gulf and the Strait of Hormuz under the flag of the United States to counter potential aggressions from the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. In this context, Iran has demanded the payment of $3.6 million from 'Maersk' and the exit of two American warships from Yemeni waters following the return of an Iranian convoy. The commander of the Navy of the Army stated that our ships are still in the Gulf of Aden, continuing the presence and patrolling of Iranian vessels in the Gulf of Aden.