The United States is sending F-16 fighters to the Persian Gulf to ward off the seizure of Iranian ships

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By Michael Lee, Fox News

July 16, 2023 | 4:48 p.m

The United States is sending F-16 fighter jets to the Persian Gulf region to help protect ships from Iranian takeovers in the Strait of Hormuz.

F-16 fighters are expected in the region over the weekend, a defense official told The Associated Press to reinforce A-10 attack aircraft that have been patrolling the Strait of Hormuz to deter seizures of Iranian ships for more than a week.

The move comes just over a week after Iran attempted to seize two oil tankers near the strait, according to the US Navy, opening fire on one of the tankers and only withdrawing when a US guided missile destroyer arrived on the scene.

“The Iranian navy has made attempts to seize commercial tankers that legally pass through international waters,” the commander said. Tim Hawkins, spokesman for the US Navy’s Fifth Fleet, according to The Associated Press. The US Navy responded immediately and prevented that seizure.

According to the Navy, an Iranian naval vessel approached the Marshall Islands-flagged TRF Moss in the Gulf of Oman on Wednesday, prompting the Navy to deploy the destroyer USS McFaul, an MQ-9 Reaper drone and a P-8 Poseidon patrol aircraft to the scene to deter the Iranian naval vessel.

Just three hours later, the Navy received a distress call from the Bahamas-flagged oil tanker Richmond Voyager off the coast of Oman, as an Iranian naval vessel closed within a mile of the tanker and ordered it to stop.

The US Navy said the US Navy had sent the aircraft carrier USS McFaul to assist the carrier “at full speed”.

“Prior to McFaul’s arrival on site, Iranian personnel fired several long bursts of small arms and crew-served weapons,” the Navy said, adding that gunfire against the tanker caused no damage or injuries.

The US defense official told The Associated Press that the F-16s arriving in the area would provide air cover for ships moving through vital waterways and increase the US military’s visibility in the area in an effort to deter similar Iranian actions.