US Central Command (CENTCOM) announced Saturday that a US-led task force will deploy over 100 unmanned vessels to the Persian Gulf by 2023 as part of a regional effort against Iran.
“By this time next year, Task Force 59 will bring together a fleet of over 100 unmanned surface and subsurface vessels operating together, communicating together and providing maritime domain awareness,” CENTCOM chief Gen. Michael Kurilla said at a conference in Bahrain.
Task Force 59 is based in Bahrain, the home of the US Navy’s Fifth Fleet. The announcement came after the US and Israel accused Iran without evidence of a drone attack on an oil tanker near Oman.
Kurilla said that the greatest threat in the region was the development of “adversary drones.” Besides deploying the drone boats to the region, Kurilla said CENTCOM was also “building an experimentation program here in the Middle East to beat adversary drones with our partners.”
The US is looking to foster cooperation between Israel and its Arab allies against Iran, which has become possible since Israel signed normalization deals with the UAE and Bahrain in 2020. Israel is hoping to build a regional alliance with the Gulf Arab states, but it will take time, as some are still hesitant to collaborate openly with Israel.
Israel’s planned alliance focuses on the idea of integrated air defenses. Brett McGurk, President Biden’s top Middle East official on the National Security Council, said at the same conference in Bahrain that the US is “actively building and enabling an integrated air and maritime defense architecture in this region.”
The US effort to increase military cooperation against Iran comes as nuclear deal talks have been stalled for months, and tensions are soaring between Washington and Tehran. The US has been increasing sanctions on Iran and expressing support for anti-government protesters inside the country.
The Pentagon’s recently issued Nuclear Posture Review acknowledged that Iran is not building a nuclear weapon, but that hasn’t stopped Biden administration officials from threatening Tehran over the issue. Robert Malley, the US special envoy for Iran, said that the US would use military action as a “last resort” to prevent Iran from acquiring a bomb.
I have always assumed that Iran can stop all oil shipments through the Persian Gulf without even firing a shot. All they have to do is convince shipping and insurance companies that the risk is too high. Adding our own drones to the equation makes this scenario 𝐦𝐨𝐫𝐞 likely.
You would think, after having witnessed the cost of energy go through the roof in Europe, that Biden would recognize that losing so much oil would throw our own economy into turmoil.
On the other hand, he didn’t exercise any common sense in Ukraine. It’s probably foolish to assume he has learned anything.
Not for the first time we have the US doing the bidding of Israel .Between Biden and Bibbi we have.two.nasty old men opposed to progress.If Oil.prices go up drastically because Iran curtains the supply the rich.get richer and Israel gets to make war on Iran.Winner winner chicken dinner.
Well so long as Israel is the one making the war. Somehow I doubt it though.
Are there other options besides chicken? Just sayin’…
the only reason that the US might be losing any oil is because the oil companies export more oil from the US every day than the US imports. Biden is not in charge of oil import/exports any more than Trump might pretend to be.
During COVID, when consumption was low, this argument made a lot more sense than it does today. But the US is expected to become a net importer next year, and our economy has become dependent on the global economy. We cannot ignore the financial difficulties of Europe and Japan, and the cost of energy, regardless of its source, is one of the largest contributors to the stagflation we are experiencing.
https://www.eia.gov/todayinenergy/detail.php?id=51338
https://www.bts.gov/content/overview-us-petroleum-production-imports-exports-and-consumption-million-barrels-day
let’s revisit this next year and see if the US is still exporting more oil than it imports
If Israhell and the United Snakes “say so”, you can bet your life it’s a lie.
Iran captured one of these vessels for hours a few months ago, hacked it and then release it… So they are familiar with it…!
Imagine if WE (couldn’t help myself) spent half as much time seeking peace as compared to provoking war.
There are too many factors that must be accounted for, regarding the MIC… They like conflict, they like innovative weapons systems and once in awhile they like to show it all off. It’s very psychological…What the hell would they do with peace?… They need a good war to get a good peace…
Iran is no threat to the U.S. Period.
100 “unmanned vessels” (sounds Romanesque), is such a clever idea or maybe not… I’d be curious to see how it all plays out… Last resorts, hmmm…. Military action to prevent Iran from acquiring a bomb? Highly cynical….