US to send F-16 fighter jets to Gulf region amid renewed tensions with Iran | Oneindia News

The United States is beefing up its use of fighter jets around the strategic Strait of Hormuz to protect ships from Iranian seizures.

Yesterday, a senior defense official said that the U.S. is increasingly concerned about the growing ties between Iran, Russia and Syria across the Middle East.

In response to the recent incidents of Iran trying to seize two oil tankers..and opening fire on one of them near the Strait of Hormuz,the U.S. will send F-16 fighter jets to the Gulf region this weekend to augment the A-10 attack aircraft that have been patrolling there for more than a week.

The U.S. Navy said in both instances the Iranian naval vessels backed off when the USS McFaul, a guided-missile destroyer, arrived on the scene.

The newly deployed F-16s will give air cover to the ships moving through the waterway and increase the military's visibility in the area, as a deterrent to Iran.The Strait of Hormuz, located between Oman and Iran, connects the Persian Gulf with the Gulf of Oman and the Arabian Sea.

It is the world's most important oil chokepoint because of the large volumes of oil that flow through the strait.

Although the narrowest point in the strait is just 33km wide, the shipping lanes in both directions are only 3km wide #Straitofhormuz #USF16jets #USAIrantension ~HT.98~PR.153~ED.155~