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U.S. Wants Military Coalition to Safeguard Waters Off Iran, Yemen
(Reuters) Phil Stewart - The U.S. hopes to enlist allies in a military coalition to safeguard waters off Iran and Yemen, where Washington blames Iran and Iran-aligned fighters for attacks, Gen. Joseph Dunford, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said Tuesday. The U.S. would provide command ships and lead surveillance efforts, while allies would escort commercial vessels with their nation's flags. "We're engaging now with a number of countries to see if we can put together a coalition that would ensure freedom of navigation both in the Straits of Hormuz and the Bab al-Mandab," Dunford said. "Over the next couple of weeks we'll identify which nations have the political will to support that initiative and then we'll work directly with the militaries to identify the specific capabilities."