US vows to bolster military ‘posture’ in Persian Gulf after Iran seized invading oil tankers

The United States says it will a make a series of military moves in the Persian Gulf after Iran's Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) Navy seized two invading foreign oil tankers in the country’s territorial waters in the Strait of Hormuz in recent weeks. 

White House National Security Council spokesman John Kirby announced the decision at a press briefing on Friday.

"The Department of Defense will be making a series of moves to bolster our defensive posture” in the Persian Gulf, he said, adding that the US Central Command will provide additional details on those reinforcements in the coming days.

Kirby used the oft-repeated refrain that Washington will not allow foreign or regional powers to jeopardize freedom of navigation through the Middle East waterways.

He further noted that the US will also be increasing its “coordination and interoperability” with regional allies in the coming weeks.

Iran has made it clear that it views US military vessels lurking in the waters of the Persian Gulf as a threat to its national security and a source of tensions and instability in the region.  

The Islamic Republic has repeatedly vowed to give a decisive response to any hostile move by Washington that would disrupt the security of the strategic waterway.

IRGC Navy seizes 'violator' oil tanker in Strait of Hormuz; second such incident in a week

Iran

Earlier this month, a Panama-flagged oil tanker was confiscated by the IRGC’s naval units in the strategic waterway near the southern port city of Bandar Abbas, the second such incident in less than a week.  

The Bahrain-based US Fifth Fleet claimed in a statement that the Greek-owned tanker, going by the name of Niovi, was sailing from Dubai towards Fujairah, a port and oil terminal in the United Arab Emirates, when it was stopped by the IRGC Navy on May 3.

At the time, the official IRNA news agency cited Tehran's Public Prosecutor as saying that the oil vessel had been impounded by the IRGC Navy following a complaint by a plaintiff and on a judicial order.

Iran seizes fleeing oil tanker which hit vessel, leaving two missing in Sea of Oman

The Iranian Navy has seized a Marshall Islands-flagged oil tanker in the Sea of Oman after it collided with an Iranian fishing craft in the Persian Gulf.

The seizure came six days after Iran's Navy seized a Marshall Islands-flagged oil tanker in the Sea of Oman. The oil tanker, named Advantage Sweet, had been involved in a maritime accident with an Iranian fishing craft, which resulted in the injury and missing of a number of its crew.

After the collision, the oil tanker attempted to flee the scene in serious breach of international laws and regulations, which require the provision of medical treatment and supply of proper and sufficient medicine to seamen in case of sickness or injury.

The Iranian fishermen managed to issue a distress call long after recovering from the shock.

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