US Navy Starts Accompanying British Ships Off Iranian Coast

The move comes after the United Kingdom asked for an escort for their ships, Army Col. Steve Warren said.

WASHINGTON (Sputnik) —US warships have begun accompanying British merchant vessels in the Strait of Hormuz, a Pentagon spokesman said Monday.

“They’ve asked if we would accompany their flagged vessels through the strait.”

Iran shipping incidents in Strait of Hormuz are only latest belligerent acts since nuclear talks began

Earlier this week, Iranian forces seized a Marshall Islands-flagged cargo ship, the Maersk Tigris, while it was traversing the Strait of Hormuz.

Iranian forces boarded the ship after firing warning shots across its bridge and diverted it to the Iranian port of Bandar Abbas. Iranian officials have not explained why the ship was seized.