WASHINGTON, July 25. /TASS/. The United States is ready to ensure protection for its commerical vessels in the Persian Gulf but will not escort every ship, US Secretary of Defense Mark Esper told reporters on Wednesday. The transcript of the conversation was published on the official website of the US Department of Defense.

"I use 'escort' boadly. Escort doesn't mean they're, you know, following right behind. But as long as you're in the area that you can react quick enough to deter a provocation, that's the key," Esper said. "I'm not saying that right now. I'm just saying this is one of the things I want to go see — in CENTCOM next week is understand their concept of the operations. Again, to the degree, of course, United States vessels need an escort, we will be there, we will be available to them," he added.

US Secretary of State Michael Pompeo said earlier that different countries will participate in a coalition that will patrol the Strait of Hormuz to ensure freedom of navigation in the region. "We are working to change the behavior of the leadership of the Islamic Republics of Iran. And we are building out a coalition that will patrol the Strait of Hormuz to keep those shipping lanes, those sea lanes open," Pompeo said. "There'll be nations from all around the world that participate in that. These are the deterrent activities," he added.

Iran’s state-run IRNA news agency said on Friday that the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), an elite military force of the Islamic Republic, seized the UK-flagged tanker Stena Impero in the Strait of Hormuz for "the violations of international maritime regulations." According to the IRGC, the tanker was escorted towards the shore for further investigation.