Iran has fortified its naval forces in the Strait of Hormuz with long-range missiles and drones after reports that Washington is set to put Marines on commercial ships sailing through the key oil waterway—which is seen as the latest escalation between the two countries. 

“What do the Persian Gulf, the Gulf of Oman, and the Indian Ocean have to do with America? What is your business being here?” Abolfazl Shekarchi, an Iranian armed forces spokesman, told Al Jazeera.

TRENDPOST: Indeed, as we have frequently noted, what if Iranian, Russian, Chinese, and North Korean ships were sailing in the Gulf of Mexico, and off the shores of America in the Atlantic and Pacific oceans? It would be declared an act of war and the majority of Americans would swallow the White House, Congress, and the Presstitutes bullshit.  

The U.S. has focused more military attention on the region over the seizures of oil tankers. We have noted it was in response to Washington’s pirating of Iranian ships in the region. But this was ignored in the mainstream media. (See “U.S. DEPLOYS NEW FORCES TO GULF OF OMAN AMID TENSIONS WITH IRAN OVER OIL TANKERS” 25 Jul 2023, “MIDDLE EAST MELTDOWN: STOKING TENSIONS WITH IRAN, U.S. SENDS F-16 FIGHTERS TO THE PERSIAN GULF” 18 Jul 2023, “U.S. RAMPS UP PRESSURE ON IRAN WITH INCREASED PATROLS IN THE STRAIT OF HORMUZ” 30 May 2023, and “U.S. TO INCREASE MILITARY PRESENCE IN THE ARABIAN GULF, BLAMES RECENT IRANIAN SHIP SEIZURES” 16 May 2023.)

An official told the AFP that there is an effort by Washington 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.”

Since the ships are commercial, these U.S. forces would need to be invited to board them, the report said.

In response to the latest provocations from Washington, Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Navy acquired missiles with a range of up to 621 miles. TRTWorld, citing Iranian state television, reported that a top Iranian general attended a ceremony on Saturday that included the delivery of new strategic systems, equipment, and weapons.

“The enemy’s presence has transformed into an opportunity for us. This has allowed us to capitalize on opportunities, boost the growth rate of our defense and military power production by breaking the chain of threats and dangers,” Maj. Gen. Hossein Salami of the Revolutionary Guard Corps, said.

TRENDPOST: There’s a reason you subscribe to The Trends Journal…we give you the truth in trends.

The U.S. accused Iran of trying to hijack about 20 internationally flagged ships in the key waterway over the past two years to portray the Iranian navy as a band of pirates looking to pick a fight.

As we would say in The Bronx: Bullshit has its own sound. 

Our readers know that the U.S. seized the Iranian tanker Suez Rajan in April that was carrying about 800,000 barrels of crude, which was towed to the U.S. The Wall Street Journal reported that the U.S. had plans to auction off the oil. 

That prompted a swift reaction from Tehran, which seized the Marshall Island-flagged Advantage Sweet and the Panama-flagged Niovi oil tanker. 

The U.S. has been militarizing the region and has sent additional F-35 and F-16 fighters to the Middle East. The Guardian reported earlier this month that the U.S. has been training Marines already stationed in the region to ride on these ships.

The relationship between the U.S. and Iran has gone from bad to worse in recent months over the stalled 2015 nuclear deal talks and Tehran’s believed military support for Russia in its war with Ukraine. 

The U.S. is also trying not to lose to China in the region, which has also provided countries with security. 

Middle East Eye reported that the UAE exited a security force led by Washington in favor of Beijing because it felt that the U.S. was not doing enough to protect ships. The report said Saudi Arabia and Oman also said they would join the Chinese-led naval alliance—that includes Iran.

“It defies reason that Iran, the number one cause of regional instability, claims it wants to form a naval security alliance to protect the very waters it threatens,” Tim Hawkins, the spokesman for the U.S.’s Fifth Fleet and Combined Maritime Forces, told Breaking Defense at the time.