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Source: https://thehill.com/policy/defense/5863662-us-military-dome-strait-hormuz/
U.S. Set Up a "Red, White and Blue Dome" over Strait of Hormuz
(The Hill) Colin Meyn - Secretary of War Pete Hegseth said hundreds of commercial ships are lining up to leave the Strait of Hormuz as the U.S. has erected a "red, white and blue dome" over the corridor, which has been largely closed off by Iran since the start of the war. "Iran's plan, a form of international extortion, is unacceptable," Hegseth said Tuesday. "As a direct gift from the U.S. to the world...American destroyers are on station, supported by hundreds of fighter jets, helicopters, drones and surveillance aircraft providing 24/7 overwatch for peaceful commercial vessels, except Iran's." Gen. Dan Caine, chair of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said 22,500 mariners aboard more than 1,550 commercial vessels were trapped in the Persian Gulf, which he called the Arabian Gulf. He said 15,000 American service members were involved in creating an "enhanced security area" on the southern side of the Strait of Hormuz intended to ensure safe passage for commercial vessels. "Out there on the surface, guided-missile destroyers and other warships are detecting and defeating Iranian threats. This includes fast boats and one-way attack drones. In the air, more than 100 fighters - attack aircraft and other manned and unmanned aircraft, synchronized by the 82nd Airborne Division - are in the air 24 hours a day, providing defensive overwatch for the enhanced security area and its approaches."