U.S. Warship Monitoring Movement of Iran Cargo Vessel off Yemen Coast

The Pentagon said today a U.S. warship has begun shadowing the Iranian cargo ship, “Iran Shahed,” approaching the coast of Yemen with Iranian military escorts. (NBC News, 19 May)

Iran has announced the cargo ship intends to deliver its shipment directly to Yemen and ignore UN demands that all relief shipments for Yemen first be delivered to a UN inspection station in nearby Djibouti. Last week, the deputy chief of Iranian armed forces, Gen. Massoud Jazayeri, said any attack on the ship would spark a regional war.

U.S. official said the Iranian ship may in fact be carrying relief supplies and not weapons. But allowing the ship free passage into Yemen without an inspection could set a “dangerous precedent” for future shipments. Pentagon officials said no final decision has been made on the U.S. response, NBC reported.

Pentagon identified the warship monitoring the movements of the Iranian cargo vessel as USS Iwo Jima (LHD-7), a Wasp-class amphibious assault ship.

File photo: USS Iwo Jima (LHD-7), an amphibious assault ship and helicopter carrier. (U.S. Navy)

U.S. Navy to Accompany American Ships in Persian Gulf

U.S. Navy will begin accompanying American commercial ships as they travel the Strait of Hormuz, Fox News reported today. 

The IRGC Navy seized a Marshall-Islands flagged vessel traveling the Strait on Tuesday. U.S. officials said the U.S. and Marshall Islands are in contact over the incident.

Photo: The Maersk Tigris (Damietta Port Authority via Defense News)

 

Iran Intercepts Cargo Ship at Strait of Hormuz

U.S. Moves to Respond

Iranian patrol vessels today fired shots across the bow of a cargo ship flagged to the Marshal Islands, forcing it to travel into Iranian waters. There are still gaps of information about how the incident began. The Iranian forces then boarded the cargo ship, the Maersk Tigris. The incident occurred at around 1:30 pm local time (5:00 am EST).

After receiving a distress signal from the Maersk, U.S. Central Command’s Naval Forces Central dispatched the destroyer Farragut to proceed to the location of the vessel and dispatched a maritime patrol and reconnaissance aircraft to observe the situation, the Pentagon announced. (Defense News, 28 April)

Marshal Islands have security and defense arrangements with the U.S. But there were no American citizens onboard the vessel, which has a crew of 34. The ship was traveling from Jeddah in Saudi Arabia to Jebel Ali in the UAE. It was now in the vicinity of Iran’s Larak Island in the Strait of Hormuz.

Factors that could have affected Iran’s highly unusual decision to seize the cargo ship were not known at this time. Last week, the U.S. Navy blocked an Iranian convoy of several freighters led by IRGCN warships suspected of attempting to deliver arms to the Huthi insurgents in Yemen. The convoy reversed course in the direction of home. Public comments out of Iran on that incident manifest a high degree of frustration, even anger, at the U.S. move. Today, the Maersk was traveling between Saudi Arabia and the UAE. The two countries are perceived by Iran as the leaders of an anti-Iran Sunnis coalition in Yemen and elsewhere.

UPDATE: Iran's official news agency IRNA reports that the seizure of the Maersk Tigris was because of an outstanding warrant by an Iranian court against the Maersk shipping lines. IRNA said the warrant was issued after a private Iranian company had filed a claim that Maersk owed money to the company.

The explanation offered by IRNA creates more questions than answers. The IRGC Navy is sent to intercept and seize a cargo ship at the Strait of Hormuz to enforce a civil law suit by an unnamed private company in Iran against a shipping giant during a tense period in the region. Highly unusual, indeed!

File photo: The Maersk Tigris (Damietta Port Authority via Defense News)

Iranian Convoy Heading Home - UPDATE

A nine-ship Iranian convoy of seven freighters and two IRGCN warships suspected of carrying arms to the Huthis in Yemen today reversed course and now is heading northeast in the Arabian Sea in the direction of home. The convoy had dropped anchor near Yemeni border with Oman in the Arabian Sea. (AP/Fox, 23 April) 

The Pentagon officials welcomed the reversal, Fox News reported today.

The move by Iran avoids showdown with U.S. Navy in the Arabian Sea and is also a possible quid pro quo for Saudi halt in major air campaign.

File photo: Aircraft carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt. The carrier arrived in the Arabian Sea on Monday. U.S. ships and jet fighters were closely monitoring the movements of the Iranian convoy. (Photo: Reuters)

UPDATE (Friday 24 April): U.S. aircraft carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt and its strike group are also heading back to the Persian Gulf after the Iranian convoy reversed course on Thursday and headed home. Them moves indicate that a potential stand off between the two navies has been averted. 

Convoy of Iranian Ships Parked in Arabian Sea

The convoy of Iranian ships suspected of carrying arms for the Huthis in Yemen was reported parked south-southeast of the Yemeni border with Oman in the north Arabian Sea, NBC quoted U.S. officials as saying on Wednesday morning. Saudi and Egyptian warships were positioned to the southwest of the convoy, forming a blockade of the Gulf of Aden and the port city of Aden.

U.S. aircraft carrier the USS Theodore Roosevelt and the guided missile cruiser Normandy arrived in the Arabian Sea on Monday to join six other U.S. ships in the area. They could also intercept any ships carrying arms to Yemen.

The intentions and the ultimate destination of the Iranian convoy, comprised of seven vessels including freighters and small IRGCN warships, were not known. Two Iranian Navy ships, the frigate Alborz and replenishment ship Bushehr were also in the area.

File photo: Aircraft carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt (Reuters)

U.S Coast Guard Boat Fires on Iranian Fishing Boat

Navy Says Iranian Crew Pointed a Machine Gun at American Crew 

The U.S. Navy announced today that a U.S. Coast Guard boat fired at an Iranian fishing dhow in the Persian Gulf after the Iranian boat pointed a machine gun at the American crew.

The incident occurred on Tuesday morning in international waters when a team from the Coast Guard patrol vessel Monomoy was dispatched in the smaller boat to query the Iranian dhow.

“The (Iranian) dhow’s crew trained and prepared to fire a .50 caliber machine gun on the small (Coast Guard) boat as it approached,” the Navy. “This action by the dhow’s crew demonstrated hostile intent.”

The Coast Guard crew then turned away and “fired one round in self-defense,” the Navy added. The dhow crew did not respond when fired upon and left the scene without communicating with the Monomoy.

The Monomoy had earlier established communication with the dhow and determined that it was an Iranian-flagged vessel. The Monomoy is in the Persian Gulf operating with the Navy’s Fifth Fleet.

The Pentagon Spokesman Rear Admiral John Kirby said there was no indication whether the dhow was struck.

File photo: U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Monomoy (WPB 1326) / U/S. Navy/Wikipedia

U.S. Aircraft Carrier Moves to Persian Gulf

U.S. Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel today ordered aircraft carrier USS George H. W. Bush moved into northern Persian Gulf if President Obama decides to launch air strikes against the ISIL positions in Iraq.

“The order will provide the Commander-in-Chief additional flexibility should military options be required to protect American lives, citizens and interests in Iraq,” the Pentagon said in a statement. (Reuters, 14 June)

USS George H.W. Bush was in North Arabian Sea today and is expected to complete the transit into the Persian Gulf later on Saturday. The carrier will be accompanied by the guided-missile cruiser USS Philippine Sea and the guided-missile destroyer USS Truxtun, the Pentagon said.

Photo credit: USS George H W Bush transits the Strait of Gibraltar into the Mediterranean Sea; 17 February 2014 (Lt. Juan David Guerra/U.S. Navy/Reuters)

U.S. Navy Leads Massive Anti-Mine Exercises in Persian Gulf

U.S. and 40 other allied navies gathered in Bahrain today to begin massive anti-mine exercises in the Persian Gulf. The International Mine Countermeasure Exercise (IMCMEX) will run through 30 May. The drills appear to be tailored to keep the shipping lanes at the Strait of Hormuz open in case of any future hostilities involving Iran.

A U.S. Navy statement released today said the IMCMEX will begin with onshore training and then move to the Gulf for maneuvers including mine-sweeping and search-and-seizure operations.

“We are very pleased to see that more than 40 nations have joined us here to take part in this opportunity to enhance international naval capability to preserve freedom of navigation in international waterways,” said Vice Admiral John W. Miller, commander of US Naval Forces Central Command and U.S. Fifth Fleet. “If 41 nations are willing to come here and practice MCM, just imagine how effective the global mine response would be if someone actually put mines in the water.” (Xinhua, 6 May)

More than 100 divers, 35 ships and 18 unmanned submarines will take part in the drills.

File photo: IMCMEX, September 2012 

U.S. and Allies to Conduct Anti-Mine Drills in Persian Gulf

The U.S. military announced today an anti-mine exercise in “the Middle East's international waterways” in May with more than 20 nations participating.

“This year's effort will reaffirm the ongoing, global cooperation that this mission enjoys with the international community's strong support for free trade,” General James Mattie, commander of the U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM), said in a statement. (Reuters, 4 February)

The drill will be a follow-up to the IMCMEX 12 exercise held last September, by a broad coalition of states to counter any attempt Iran might make to disrupt Gulf shipping in response to an Israeli or U.S. strike on its nuclear facilities, Reuters reported.

File photo: JS Uraga, USS Pioneer and USS Ardent in IMCMEX 12 anti-mine drills, 20 September 2012 (Wikipedia)

USS John Stennis Enters Persian Gulf

U.S. aircraft carrier USS John Stennis has passed the Strait of Hormuz and entered the Persian Gulf accompanied by guided missile cruiser USS Mobile Bay. The aircraft carrier called at the port of Jebel Ali, 35km southwest of Dubai. Meanwhile, the amphibious assault ship USS Peleliu has entered the Oman’s port of Salalah on the Arabian Sea. (Interfax, 27 December)

The Iranian Navy will begin conducting maneuvers on Friday at the Strait of Hormuz and the Arabian Sea.

File photo: USS Hohn Stennis (U.S. Navy/Reuters)

Iran Accuses US Navy of Violating Iran’s Airspace

In letters sent to the Security Council and U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, Iran's U.N. Ambassador Mohammad Khazaee accused the U.S. Navy of repeatedly violating Iran’s airspace and carrying out “illegal and provocative acts” in the Persian Gulf and Sea of Oman.

Khazaee cited flights over the coastal areas of Bushehr on seven occasions in October and most recently a U.S. drone flight on Nov. 1 which disregarded all radio warnings and penetrated Iranian airspace. (AP, 23 November)