United States Demonstrates ‘Dynamic’ Iran Deterrence with Deployment of Marines on Commercial Tankers

China and Russia have been the focus of Congressional defense budget hearings throughout the winter, spring, and summer. However, while China may be the main military challenge for the United States, there is the potential for a brewing confrontation with Iran, which could test the Pentagon’s evolving strategy in deployments and responses to military confrontations.

Currently, there are discussions surrounding the presence of small U.S. Marine detachments on foreign-flagged oil tankers in the Strait of Hormuz. These detachments may be aboard ships, monitoring Iranian speedboats armed with heavy-caliber automatic weapons and rocket-propelled grenades. If no shots are fired, it would be considered a win for a more dynamic and flexible approach to deterrence strategies in the Middle East, particularly when dealing with Iran’s provocations in the crucial waterway responsible for 20% of global crude oil transportation.

If a confrontation does occur and shots are fired, it would still be viewed as a win for deterrence. This is because it is uncertain whether a ship has only merchant seamen or if U.S. Marines are also present, making piracy, hijacking, and hostage-taking a risky gamble for Iran’s navy.

The Department of Defense (DOD) has chosen not to confirm or deny plans to place Marine detachments on foreign-flagged commercial ships in the Arabian Sea. However, the DOD has acknowledged the arrival of additional forces in the Arabian Sea and Persian Gulf in response to the series of attacks on commercial shipping by Iran earlier this year.

The U.S. Central Command and the Pentagon have also avoided directly confirming the presence of Marine detachments aboard tankers and container ships in the Arabian Sea, but alluded to the arrival of additional forces aimed at countering Iran’s attempts to disrupt commerce in the Strait of Hormuz.

Reports suggest that Marines from the 26th Marines Expeditionary Unit have been trained since mid-July in Bahrain on how to defend and board merchant ships at sea. This training likely extends beyond ships transiting the Strait of Hormuz to include the Red Sea, Gulf of Aden, and Somalia’s Horn of Africa coast.

Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Navy units, along with IRNI corvettes, have been involved in multiple attacks or attempted seizures of internationally flagged merchant vessels in the Gulf of Oman, Strait of Hormuz, and southern Persian Gulf since 2021. The tensions escalated after the U.S. court-ordered confiscation of Iranian oil from a Greek-managed tanker.

In response to these provocations, the U.S. Secretary of Defense deployed additional naval and air force assets to the region to deter potential aggression and safeguard the free flow of international commerce. However, specific plans to place Marine detachments on foreign-flagged ships have not been publicly confirmed.

Unnamed Pentagon officials have confirmed that the U.S. is considering various options to deter Iran’s navy from harassing ships, including offering Marine detachments to U.S.-flagged vessels or those carrying U.S. citizens or cargo to or from the United States. Commercial shipping companies would need to contact the U.S. Navy to request protection, and as of early August, there was no official authorization for Marines to deploy aboard commercial ships.



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