The United States is preparing to deploy Marines and Navy personnel aboard commercial tankers transiting the Gulf as part of efforts to deter Iran from seizing ships, a US official said yesterday. The US military says, Iran has either seized or attempted to take control of nearly 20 internationally flagged ships in the region over the past two years. 

The security forces would provide a further layer of protection for the tankers in addition to the warships and planes operating in the strategically vital area, through which around a fifth of the world's oil passes. Pentagon spokesman Brigadier General Pat Ryder and National Security Council spokesman John Kirby both declined to confirm reports of the planned deployment. The US is boosting its forces operating in the region, announcing last month that it would deploy a destroyer, F-35 and F-16 warplanes, as well as an Amphibious Readiness Group/Marine Expeditionary Unit comprised of some 3,000 personnel.