More than 3,000 US troops reach Red Sea amid Iran tensions
World,Iran,Middle East,US Military,Asia,Foreign Affairs
More than 3,000 U.S. sailors and Marines reached the Red Sea on Sunday aboard the assault ship USS Bataan in response to Iran’s “harassment and seizures of merchant vessels,” according to the U.S. Naval Central Forces Central Command.
“These units add significant operational flexibility and capability as we work alongside international partners to deter destabilizing activity and deescalate regional tensions caused by Iran’s harassment and seizures of merchant vessels earlier this year,” the U.S. Fifth Fleet spokesman Cmdr. Tim Hawkins said in a statement shared with The Hill.
The arrival is part of a preannounced military deployment, the U.S. Naval Central Forces Command said. Hawkins said it signals the country’s “strong, unwavering commitment to regional maritime security.”
The assault ship arrived Sunday after traveling from the Mediterranean Sea through the Suez Canal. The U.S. Naval Central Forces Central Command said the USS Bataan and dock landing ship USS Carter Hall bring “additional aviation and naval assets, as well as more U.S. Marines and Sailors, providing greater flexibility and maritime capability to the U.S. 5th Fleet.”
