And White House National Security Council spokesman John Kirby, speaking to reporters, underscored the importance of the strait and US concerns about Iranian harassment of ships there.
“The Strait of Hormuz is an important sea route that has a huge impact on maritime trade around the world,” Kirby said. “It is an important chokepoint in the maritime world. And we’ve seen threats from Iran to hit that chokepoint.
Earlier on Thursday, Vice Admiral Brad Cooper, Chief of the Navy’s Middle East-based 5th The Fleet met with the head of the Gulf Cooperation Council. The group of six countries includes Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.
Although a GCC statement about the meeting did not indicate the resolution, it said Cooper and the officials discussed “strengthening GCC-US cooperation and working with international and regional partners”.
Batten and Carter Hall departed Norfolk, Virginia, on July 10 on a mission that the Pentagon described as “in response to Iran’s recent efforts to threaten the free flow of commerce in the Strait of Hormuz and its surrounding straits”. The ships made a port visit in Greece’s Souda Gulf earlier this week, drawing closer to the Middle East, according to photos released by the Navy.