The U.S. Navy’s protection mission in the Strait of Hormuz will apply strictly to American shipping while regional partners will shoulder most of the responsibilities in the region, according to a Navy admiral.
The mission, known as Operation Sentinel, is going to be “80 or 90% coalition effort and a much smaller U.S. effort that is primarily focused on providing intelligence support … to the rest of the coalition,” Vice Adm. Michael Gilday, President Trump’s nominee to become chief of naval operations, told the Senate Armed Services Committee during his confirmation hearing Wednesday.
West Virginia Democrat Joe Manchin noted that the Navy was reportedly too far away to aid a British ship seized by Iranian forces earlier this month. He asked Gilday if the Navy is working with allies to protect shipping lanes in the Strait of Hormuz, through which much of the world’s sea-traded oil passes, and whether it has adequate resources to do so.
“So it seems like we’re getting strung up … pretty thin,” Manchin said.
Gilday said the Navy “will have the resources and do have the resources to escort U.S.-flagged ships through the Strait of Hormuz. There aren’t that many of them that make that transit.”
“So, we will escort our ships as they come along, but we won’t be there in great numbers. The idea is for the regional partners to bear the lion’s share of the burden,” he said.
Operation Sentinel was created in response to Iranian threats against ships in the strait. Two British-flagged ships were apprehended by Iran earlier this month in response to the United Kingdom’s seizure of an Iranian tanker suspected of breaching sanctions against shipping oil to Syria, a key Iranian ally.
While the operation is meant to be an international coalition, the United States has had mixed results in recruiting partners. Germany recently announced it would not take part in the mission, citing concerns that it could escalate tensions.
The Navy started its “initial planning conference” with allies to discuss maritime security Wednesday. On Monday, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo acknowledged “it will take more time” to form the coalition.
