WASHINGTON, Aug. 8 — Over 3,000 U.S. sailors and marines have entered the Red Sea in the Middle East aboard two U.S. warships, the U.S. Navy said Monday, weeks after the Department of Defense (DoD) deployed additional military assets to the Strait of Hormuz in response to what Washington claimed were threats posed by Iran.
The service members belong to the Bataan Amphibious Ready Group (ARG) and 26th Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU), the U.S. Naval Forces Central Command (USNAVCENT) said in a statement. They arrived in the region Sunday on board the amphibious assault ship USS Bataan and the dock landing ship USS Carter Hall after transiting through the Suez Canal.
“Bataan ARG/26th MEU units bring to the region additional aviation and naval assets, as well as more U.S. Marines and Sailors, providing greater flexibility and maritime capability to U.S. 5th Fleet,” the statement said.
Based in Bahrain, the Fifth Fleet is under the command of USNAVCENT and operates in an area that covers the Gulf, “Gulf of Oman, Red Sea, parts of the Indian Ocean, and three critical choke points at the Strait of Hormuz, Suez Canal and Strait of Bab al-Mandeb,” according to the statement. (Xinhua)
