The USNS Big Horn, a critical U.S. Navy oil tanker, reportedly ran aground off Oman’s coast Tuesday, Sept. 24, impacting operations for the Abraham Lincoln Carrier Strike Group amid escalating tensions between Israel and Hamas. The incident occurred while the Big Horn was engaged in regional security efforts, and the Navy is investigating with no…

While it’s not true in every instance, the crisis in the Red Sea does have a familiar pattern. The Houthis shoot missiles at an array of potential targets. The Americans respond by shooting down those missiles with their missiles. Then both sides tell the media what they just did. Rinse and repeat. But the longer…

The United States is sending a clear message to Iran’s navy: stop acting like pirates or face the consequences. To make sure its message hits home with Iran, the U.S. military is taking the unprecedented step of offering to station Marines on foreign merchant vessels. It’s the latest sign the U.S. is still very much…

Iran’s paramilitary Revolutionary Guard held a surprise drill on disputed islands in the Persian Gulf on Wednesday, Aug. 2. The drill focused primarily on Abu Musa Island, one of three Persian Gulf islands under Iranian control but disputed by the United Arab Emirates. As part of the drill, the Guard’s navy unveiled new vessels equipped with…

The U.S. Navy reported Monday, June 5, that sailors came to the aid of a merchant ship the Navy said was being harassed by Iran Revolutionary Guard vessels. The United Kingdom Royal Navy also came to the ship’s aid. The incident happened in the Strait of Hormuz, located off Iran’s southern coast. According to the…

Iran seized another oil tanker on May 3, making it the second seizure in under one week. The seizure is adding to concerns that Iran is threatening maritime traffic in the open seas of a pivotal strait where nearly one-fifth of all crude oil passes through. Surveillance video from the U.S. Navy shows about a…