The U.S. military will send a Navy destroyer and F-16 and F-35 fighter jets to the Gulf region after “a number of recent alarming events in the Strait of Hormuz” caused by Iran, a Pentagon spokesperson confirmed Monday.
“In response to a number of recent alarming events in the Strait of Hormuz, [Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin] has ordered the deployment of the destroyer USS Thomas Hudner, F-35 fighters and F-16 fighters to the U.S. Central Command area of responsibility to defend U.S. interests and safeguard freedom of navigation in the region,” Pentagon deputy press secretary Sabrina Singh told reporters.
The U.S. military already has F-16s and A-10 Warthogs in the region – the latter of which has been patrolling there for more than a week after Iranian naval forces on July 5 tried to capture two oil tankers in or near the Gulf of Oman, firing on one of them.
A defense official first told reporters on Friday that the F-16s were meant to give air cover to the ships traversing through the waterway — a crucial supply route for the world’s oil shipments — and act as a deterrent to Iran.
Singh said the additional assets were meant to help with Iran’s continuing efforts to “engage in destabilizing activity.”
“In light of this continued threat and in coordination with our partners and allies, the [Defense Department] is increasing our presence and ability to monitor the strait and surrounding waters,” Singh said.
She also said the Pentagon calls upon Iran “to immediately cease these antagonizing actions that threaten the free flow of commerce.”
Singh could not say how long the deployment would last, as Austin and his commanders “are always assessing how long assets would be needed in the region.”
She added that the aircraft were enroute but would not say where the aircraft were being flown from.
The early July encounters follow successful attempts from Iran to seize oil tankers in the Strait of Hormuz, including a Texas-bound ship in April and another one about a week later.
The strait, which flows into the Gulf of Oman and is bordered by Iran, is a waterway for which the globe depends on for more than one-fifth of the world’s oil supply.