Thursday, April 30, 2015

U.S. Navy Grapples On How To Respond To Iran's Navy Actions In The Middle East

The guided-missile destroyer USS Farragut is shown in this undated photo operating in heavy seas in the Atlantic Ocean. It is now in the vicinity of the Strait of Hormuz, where the Iranian navy forced the container ship Maersk Tigris deeper into Iranian waters and is still holding it. (Aaron Chase/U.S. Navy via Reuters)

Washington Post: New dilemma for the Navy as it grapples with Iran at sea

The United States was grappling Wednesday with a naval dilemma: How should the Navy respond to Iranian ships intercepting a civilian container ship in the Strait of Hormuz and holding if the vessel wasn’t flying the U.S. flag?

The Maersk Tigris was flagged by the Marshall Islands when it was intercepted Tuesday, said Col. Steve Warren, a Pentagon spokesman. The tiny Pacific nation was seized by the U.S. military during World War II and gained independence in 1986. The government there signed a legal agreement with Washington in 1983 known as a Compact of Free Association that guides their relations, and requires the United States to respond militarily on behalf of the Marshall Islands when required.

Update: Iran Navy to send 35th flotilla to Gulf of Aden: Commander (Press TV)

WNU Editor: My suggestion to the U.S. Navy/Pentagon/White House is that they sort out their rules of engagement/policy sooner rather than later .... the Iranian navy is making their presence felt everywhere .... Iran says warships at entrance to key Yemen strait (AFP).

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