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<\/a><\/span><\/p>\nThe United States hopes to enlist allies in the coming weeks for a military coalition to safeguard strategic waters in the Persian Gulf where Washington blames Iran<\/a> and Iran-aligned fighters for attacks, the Penatgon\u2019s most senior general has said.<\/span><\/p>\n Under the plan, which has only been finalised in recent days, the US would provide command ships and lead surveillance efforts for the military coalition in seaas off Iran and Yemen<\/a>. Allies would patrol waters near those US command ships and escort commercial vessels with their nation\u2019s flags.<\/span><\/p>\n Gen Joseph Dunford, the chairman of the joint chiefs of staff, gave details to reporters following meetings about it on Tuesday with acting US defense secretary Mark Esper and secretary of state Mike Pompeo.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019re engaging now with a number of countries to see if we can put together a coalition that would ensure freedom of navigation both in the Straits of Hormuz and the Bab al-Mandab,\u201d Dunford said.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cAnd so I think probably over the next couple of weeks we\u2019ll identify which nations have the political will to support that initiative and then we\u2019ll work directly with the militaries to identify the specific capabilities that\u2019ll support that.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n Iran has long threatened to close the Straits of Hormuz, through which almost a fifth of the world\u2019s oil passes, if it was unable to export its oil, something US president Donald Trump\u2019s administration has sought as a way to pressure Tehran to renegotiate a deal on its nuclear program.<\/span><\/p>\n But the US proposal for an international coalition to safeguard shipping in the Straits, which are at the mouth of the Gulf, has been gaining momentum since attacks in May and June against oil tankers in Gulf waters. Last month, Iran shot down a US drone near the Straits, prompting Trump to order retaliatory air strikes, only to call them off<\/a><\/strong><\/span>. <\/span><\/p>\n Although US officials had publicly discussed plans to safeguard the Straits, Dunford\u2019s disclosure that the coalition would also seek to bolster security in the Bab al-Mandab off Yemen appeared to be a new element.<\/span><\/p>\n The US, as well as Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, have long fretted over attacks by Iran-aligned Houthi fighters in the narrow Bab al-Mandab waterway, which connects the Red Sea with the Gulf of Aden and the Arabian Sea.<\/span><\/p>\n Nearly 4 million barrels of oil are shipped daily through the Bab al-Mandab to Europe, the United states and Asia plus commercial goods.<\/span><\/p>\n Dunford said the US would provide \u201ccommand and control\u201d ships but said the goal would be for other countries to provide vessels to patrol waters between those command ships.<\/span><\/p>\n The third part of the mission would involve coalition members escorting their countries\u2019 commercial vessels.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cThe expectation is that the actual patrolling and escorts would be done by others,\u201d he said.<\/span><\/p>\n Dunford said the size of the campaign could be adjusted based on the number of countries that commit to it.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cThis will be scaleable, right? So with a small number of contributors, we can have a small mission. And we\u2019ll expand that as the number of nations that are willing to participate identify themselves,\u201d he said.<\/span><\/p>\n Source<\/a><\/p>\n Also see:<\/span><\/p>\n Method of attack on tankers remains key evidence against Iran<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n