The US Navy has accompanied four American-flagged ships moving through the Strait of Hormuz at the mouth of the Persian Gulf, and may expand that aid to other nations to ensure they get no interference from Iranian vessels.
US Army Colonel Steve Warren says the four ships belonged to the US Navy's Military Sealift Command or were contract vessels. Those ships have civilian crews and are used to carry cargo or re-supply US Navy ships.
Air Force Colonel Pat Ryder says any US-flagged ship can ask for Navy warships to accompany it through the narrow strait, which includes Iranian waters.
The policy was adopted after Iran Revolutionary Guard Corps naval vessels reportedly fired warning shots near a Marshall Islands-flagged cargo ship earlier this week and detained it and its crew.
