International waters have not witnessed any Iranian attempts to seize ships for weeks, with the last attempt dating back to July 5, when US forces rushed to the attack area, effectively preventing the Iranian navy from seizing two ships – the first in international waters off Oman, and the second off the city of Muscat.
Cessation of Attacks
American military sources have spoken to Al Arabiya and Al Hadath in the past few hours, confirming that the past weeks have seen no Iranian attempts against commercial ships, and noted the mobilization of US military forces in the area. In recent weeks, the air force sent a squadron of F-35 aircraft and another squadron of F-16s. Last spring, they kept a squadron of A-10 aircraft.
It’s important to mention that the Americans have deployed two destroyers along with their corresponding ships in the region, thereby covering the Strait of Hormuz and the Gulf of Oman by air and sea with a larger number of naval and air units, at levels the region hasn’t seen in years.
While it’s true that the US forces sent two aircraft carriers during the withdrawal months from Afghanistan, this time the Americans are directing their power to face Iranian provocations.
Rapid Deployment
The Americans occasionally deter Iranian actions by sending swarms of American air force units, and American military officials told Al Arabiya and Al Hadath that the new principle of defense for the region and its security is based on “rapid deployment”, meaning, for example, that the United States sends giant B-52 planes and are accompanied by air forces of the state where the B-52 is flying in its airspace.
The Americans have tried, through “rapid deployment”, to compensate for the permanent deployment of forces and to deliver a deterrent message to the Iranians. However, Iran realized, according to the Americans, that these air forces arrive and then leave after days or weeks, thereby the US forces lose their capacity for “rapid intervention”.
Failure to Deter
Iranian forces have taken advantage of this gap in American presence, and they have begun to attack commercial ships in the Gulf of Oman and the Strait of Hormuz when the number and equipment of the Americans are at their lowest. They have succeeded in controlling the ships and leading them to Iranian territorial waters, and only released them after difficult negotiations between the ship owners and Iranian authorities.
More Forces in the Gulf
Immediately after this, the US forces amassed F-35 and F-16 aircraft in the region and sent an additional destroyer. American military sources confirm that these forces have not left the region since then, and the US Secretary of Defense is seriously considering the possibility of keeping them in the region in the foreseeable future, especially since the approach of reducing forces and equipment and replacing them with the “rapid deployment” approach has not been beneficial and has not deterred Iran from taking control of commercial ships in international waters.
This decision would be a significant indicator for allies and partners in the Middle East, especially the Gulf Cooperation Council countries. Through it, the United States says that it is indeed committed to the security of partners and allies, and under the current president Joe Biden, is prepared to allocate the necessary force for that.
