WASHINGTON, July 10, 2019 (BSS/AFP) – The US aims to form a coalition to
guarantee freedom of navigation in strategic Gulf waters amid fraught
relations between Washington and Tehran, a top general told media on Tuesday.
Tensions in the area — through which nearly a third of the world’s oil is
transported — have spiked in recent weeks, with the US blaming Iran for
multiple attacks on tanker ships in the region, and Tehran shooting down an
American drone.
“We’re engaging now with a number of countries to see if we can put
together a coalition that would ensure freedom of navigation both in the
Straits of Hormuz and the Bab al-Mandab,” General Joseph Dunford, chairman of
the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said in a video carried by the Reuters news
agency.
“I think probably over the next couple weeks we’ll identify which nations
have the political will to support that initiative and then we’ll work
directly with the militaries to identify the specific capabilities that’ll
support that,” Dunford said.
The US would provide “maritime domain awareness and surveillance,” while
ships would be escorted by the nations whose flag they carry, the general
said.
US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said last month that he hopes more than
20 countries, including the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia, would work
together on building maritime security.
“We’ll need you all to participate, your military folks,” Pompeo said.
“The president is keen on sharing that the United States doesn’t bear the
cost of this.”