Conflict between the USA, Israel and Iran: The 50,000-ton USS Tripoli, an amphibious assault ship carrying more than 2,000 Marines from the 31st Naval Expeditionary Unit, is scheduled to enter the war zone in the northern Arabian Sea around 22-23, according to the Hindustan Times. march
There is reportedly a high likelihood that the USS Tripolis could be deployed in an effort to help reopen the Strait of Hormuz to international oil shipping and preserve freedom of navigation through the narrow waterway amid conflict in the Middle East. At its narrowest point, the strait is only about 33 kilometers wide, and the geography gives Iran an advantage in any attempt to target shipping and trigger an oil crisis.
The large warship is currently south of Sri Lanka in the southern Indian Ocean and headed for the Gulf of Oman, where it is expected to reinforce the carrier strike group USS Abraham Lincoln.
President Donald Trump has so far avoided a definitive answer on whether the United States will send troops to Iran, saying he is not deploying forces while making it clear he will not publicly announce such a move in advance.
Given the conditions of war and the rapidly changing situation, any decision to deploy troops will likely depend on how the conflict develops and whether Iran escalates its actions against the Gulf states. Under such circumstances, the US would be unlikely to make any announcement before taking action, the report said.
What is USS Tripolis?
The USS Tripoli, based in Sasebo, Japan, is a small aircraft carrier equipped with F-35 fighter jets, MV-22 Osprey transport aircraft and landing craft used to move troops ashore. It serves as the lead vessel of a ready amphibious group, which would typically also include the amphibious transport ships USS New Orleans and USS San Diego. CNN said it could not verify through maritime tracking sites whether these smaller ships were operating along Tripoli.
Although it is difficult to predict the next steps of US military planners under a mercurial president, ensuring freedom of navigation in the Persian Gulf is clearly in the interest of the global community; Otherwise, the prices of crude oil and petroleum products could shoot up, the HT report noted.
While it may seem unlikely that US warships would enter the Persian Gulf amid ongoing Iranian attacks using ballistic missiles, drones and attack vessels, the most viable way to restore oil traffic could be an international coalition operating under a UN mandate to guarantee free passage through the Strait of Hormuz.
Meanwhile, India is working with all key stakeholders in the Gulf and Europe to seek an early resolution to the conflict. At the same time, it has increased domestic production of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) to nearly 38 percent to provide ample protection to both domestic and industrial consumers and mitigate supply disruption.
Two Indian-flagged LPG tankers, Shivalik and Nanda Devi, successfully navigated through the conflict-hit Strait of Hormuz and reached ports in Gujarat after crossing the strategic waterway. Shivalik arrived at Mundra port with LPG, followed by Nanda Devi berthed with her cargo at Vadinar, providing relief amid supply concerns.
