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Bataan MED 23 Deployment
LHD-5 Bataan
"Big 5"

Sailors and Marines with the Navy's Bataan Amphibious Ready Group and the 26th Marine Expeditionary Unit arrived in the Middle East 06 August 2023 as part of a pre-announced deployment to support deterrence efforts in the Strait of Hormuz and elsewhere, said Pentagon Press Secretary Air Force Brig. Gen. Pat Ryder. "As we have been for a very long time, we're coordinating with our partners in the region when it comes to U.S. military presence because, again, it's not just the U.S. military that's out there patrolling commercial shipping lanes. We're working as part of a broader coalition ... on that effort," Ryder said told reporters.

Sailors and Marines arrived in the region aboard the USS Bataan, an amphibious assault ship, and dock landing ship USS Carter Hall.

In July 2023, the Iranian navy attempted to illegally seize two merchant vessels in the Strait of Hormuz and the Gulf of Oman. According to a news report from U.S. Central Command, on July 5, U.S. forces already in Centcom's area of responsibility participated in preventing two commercial tanker ships from being seized by the Iranian military in international waters near the coast of Oman.

One of those ships, the Marshall Islands-flagged oil tanker TRF Moss, was approached by an Iranian naval vessel, but the naval vessel departed after the U.S. Navy guided-missile destroyer USS McFaul arrived. Later the same day, the Bahamian-flagged oil tanker Richmond Voyager was also approached by an Iranian naval vessel. That Iranian naval vessel got within one mile of the tanker and fired on it using small arms and crew-served weapons. As happened with the TRF Moss, the Iranian vessel left when the USS McFaul arrived on the scene.

According to Centcom, Iran has attacked or seized about 20 merchant vessels since 2021.

Ryder said the increased U.S. presence in the Middle East is meant to help partners there keep open important shipping lanes such as at the Strait of Hormuz, which is a choke point between the Arabian Sea and the Persian Gulf. It also contributes further to a long-standing goal of preserving security and stability in the region. "That's why we've deployed these additional assets, to give us additional options, to speed up timelines and, again, broadly, to ensure stability," Ryder said.

An amphibious assault ship, such as the USS Bataan, can carry more than two dozen rotary-wing and fixed-wing aircraft. That could include MV-22 Osprey tilt-rotor aircraft and AV-8B Harrier attack jets, in addition to several amphibious landing craft. A dock landing ship, such as the USS Carter Hall, also supports operations for various rotary-wing aircraft, tactical vehicles, and amphibious landing craft.

The surprise rocket and ground assault from Gaza on Israeli cities 07 October 2023 triggered weeks of fighting, with the Israel Defense Forces launching retaliatory airstrikes on the Palestinian enclave. By 17 October 2023 around 1,400 people had been killed in Israel in the latest flare-up, according to local authorities, while Palestinian officials have reported over 2,800 fatalities in Gaza.

The Pentagon sent 2,000 Marines and sailors to waters off Israel’s coast as part of a “show of force” in the region, CNN reported, citing unnamed US officials. The move came amid fighting between Israel and Palestinian militants, which has claimed thousands of lives this month. Led by the elite 26th Marine Expeditionary Unit, the “rapid response force” is headed toward Israel on board the USS Bataan, an amphibious assault ship previously stationed in the Gulf of Oman, officials told the outlet on Monday. They did not specify the unit’s exact destination, or say if it would join two US carrier strike groups presently in the Eastern Mediterranean. The naval deployments are reportedly meant to “send a message of deterrence to Iran and the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah,” and some of the US warships have recently patrolled waters near the Islamic Republic.

Separately, on 15 October 2023 Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin ordered another 2,000 troops to gear up for a potential “medical and logistical support” mission in Israel, according to multiple news agencies. However, Pentagon staffers stressed that the order does not guarantee direct US involvement in the conflict with the Gaza-based militant group Hamas, noting that the White House “does not want to give the impression that American troops could become embroiled in a hot war.”

The Wall Street Journal, which first reported on the preparations, also stated that the troops would be tasked with “advising and medical support” and “aren't intended to serve in a combat role.” The 2,000 soldiers are now stationed across a wide area, including in the Middle East and Europe, but have been placed on notice to deploy within 24 hours if needed. Though officials said the move would be aimed at “forestalling a wider regional war,” the planning comes as some US lawmakers push for direct military action in the Middle East.

During a sit-down with CNN, Republican Senator Lindsey Graham declared: “If there's an escalation of this war against Israel, I'm blaming Iran, and it is now time to put them on notice.” Asked whether Washington should “bomb Iran,” even without evidence the country aided Hamas’ deadly October 7 terrorist attack on Israel, Graham simply replied: “Yeah.”