The security forces would provide a further layer of protection for the tankers in addition to the warships and planes operating in the strategically vital area, through which around a fifth of the world’s oil passes.
“There is an effort… to employ security details composed of both Marines and Navy sailors on commercial tankers transiting in and near the Strait of Hormuz as an added layer of defense for these vulnerable ships,” the official told AFP on condition of anonymity.
An invitation is needed to do so because the ships are private vessels, but “we are undergoing preparations to execute should final agreements be in place to do that,” the official said.
Asked if there are concerns that the deployment could lead to confrontation between US and Iranian forces, the official said that was effectively up to Tehran.
“There should be no interaction at all if Iran plays by the rules and follows international law,” the official said, adding: “If they attack and we have forces on board, we will respond — as we should.”
Read the article in The Australian (AFP).