What role might the United States play in response to an Iranian effort to disrupt shipping in the Strait of the Hormuz?
The United States would likely take active measures to protect tankers. To keep the energy markets stable and calm, the United States is the self-declared protector of Middle Eastern oil. This role was reinforced with the Iraq War, beginning in 2003, and the increased tensions between the U.S. and Iran. In 1987, in the later stages of the Iran-Iraq War, the U.S. reflagged Kuwaiti tankers with U.S. flags and provided security of shipping to and from neutral Gulf countries. Since that time, the U.S. Coast Guard and Navy have maintained a liaison office (MARLO) for working with commercial shipping traffic in the Arabian Gulf. Today, the United States maintains a formidable military presence in the Persian Gulf.
