U.S. Navy Ships to Accompany U.S.-flagged Ships in Strait of Hormuz

U.S. Navy ships will begin accompanying U.S.-flagged commercial ships when they transit the Strait of Hormuz, U.S. defense officials said on Thursday.

The move is in response to what Washington views as provocative Iranian behavior in the Persian Gulf.

Earlier this week Iranian naval vessels reportedly fired warning shots near a Marshall Islands-flagged cargo ship before detaining it and its crew.

Iranian officials said the Maersk shipping line owes it money.

Iranian naval patrol boats also surrounded a U.S. cargo vessel in the strait Friday.

The U.S. Navy however made a distinction between accompanying ships and escorting them.

The officials said the Navy won't escort these ships but will let them know in advance that they will monitor the situation as they transit the narrow Strait from the Gulf toward the Arabian Sea.