US to Deploy Additional Minesweepers

According to the Jerusalem Post, a US Senate committee was told by the US Navy’s top officer on Thursday that the United States is sending four minesweeping ships and four minesweeping helicopters to augment its naval forces in the Persian Gulf

US doubling its minesweepers in the Persian Gulf

From The Jerusalem Post

The US Navy will send four more ships and four minesweeping helicopters, top Naval officer says; move follows Iranian threats to close the Hormuz Straits in retaliation for US, European sanctions.

The United States is sending four minesweeping ships and four minesweeping helicopters to augment its naval forces in the Persian Gulf, the US Navy’s top officer told a US Senate committee on Thursday.

“We are moving four more minesweepers to the region, making eight,” Adm. Jonathan Greenert said in the Senate Armed Services Committee, declining to say when the deployment would take place.

Iran has in recent months threatened to close the Strait of Hormuz in retaliation for sanctions levied against it by the United States and Europe. Approximately one fifth of the world’s oil passes through the strait on a daily basis.

In January, Greenert said that preparing for a potential conflict in the Strait of Hormuz is the kind of thing he loses sleep over.

“If you ask me what keeps me awake at night, it’s ……..[access full story]