Over 3,000 U.S. troops arrive in Mideast amid tensions with Iran

WASHINGTON, Aug. 7 (Xinhua) -- 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 Arabian 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.

The latest deployment, which the statement said was a pre-announced arrangement by DoD, followed the Pentagon's announcement on July 17 that Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin had ordered the deployment of the destroyer USS Thomas Hudner as well as additional F-35 and F-16 fighter jets to the Strait of Hormuz "to defend U.S. interests and safeguard freedom of navigation in the region."

The chain of events unfolded against the backdrop of Washington accusing Iran of seizing or attempting to seize merchant vessels transiting in waterways around the Persian Gulf that are vital to the flow of international commerce, especially oil trade.

Multiple U.S. media reported over the last few days that the United States is considering what would be an unprecedented action of putting troops on commercial ships traveling through the Strait of Hormuz to deter alleged Iranian seizures, which the United States claimed have been happening for years. The potential action risks further escalating the already tense situation in the region.

The Pentagon refused to confirm the veracity of those reports. Pentagon Press Secretary Pat Ryder told reporters during a briefing Monday that he has "no announcement to make."