Following Iranian attempts to seize oil tankers and cause chaos in the global economy this year, a special unit of Marines deftly intervened this summer -- demonstrating the agility and rapid deployment capabilities of the US Marine Corps (USMC).

The 26th Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU) (Special Operations Capable) made waves in the world of military operations when it deployed in August to the Arabian Gulf, in the US Central Command (CENTCOM) area of responsibility.

As part of the deployment, the US Navy is reportedly training some 100 Marines for potential deployments onto commercial ships, with teams of 15–19 service members aboard each vessel for security.

This latest deployment not only marked a significant moment in the history of the Marines but also exemplified the United States' status as the preferred partner in the Middle East.

The 26th MEU is a Marine Air-Ground Task Force (MAGTF), which includes a ground combat element, an aviation combat element and a logistics combat element under a common command element.

The size of a task force depends on its mission, but its structure never varies. This self-contained and self-sustained air, land and sea strike force can be tailored to meet any contingency, including response to regional aggression.

The USMC describes itself as an "expeditionary force-in-readiness" that is manned, trained and equipped specifically to respond quickly to a broad variety of crises and conflicts and "assure littoral access."

It has the capability to deploy to battles around the world within six hours, the USMC says on its website.

Pentagon spokeswoman Sabrina Singh told reporters at the end of August that the troops would stay in the Arabian Gulf as long as needed to stop Iran's harassment of ships and attempt to threaten the global economy.

"They are there to deter any threats or unprofessional or unsafe behavior from IRGC [Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps]-backed groups, and I'll just have to leave it at that," Singh said.

Iranian aggression

Iran's continuing harassment in the Strait of Hormuz poses challenges to the shipping industry specifically and the global economy broadly.

The latest deployment came in response to aggression from Iran over the summer.

The Iranian navy tried to seize two merchant vessels in the Strait of Hormuz and the Gulf of Oman in July, in one incident opening fire at one of the merchant vessels.

In both cases, the Iranian naval vessels backed off after the US Navy dispatched a guided missile destroyer to the scene, and both commercial ships continued their voyages, the US Navy said.

Iran has attacked or seized about 20 merchant vessels since 2021, according to CENTCOM.

The 26th MEU has not been the only US military unit deterring Iran.

The Pentagon announced on July 17 it was deploying the USS Thomas Hudner, a destroyer, and a number of F-35 fighter jets to the Strait of Hormuz and Gulf of Oman.

Meanwhile, the 26th MEU was accompanied by elements of the three-ship Bataan Amphibious Ready Group -- which includes the USS Bataan amphibious assault ship, the USS Mesa Verde amphibious transport dock and the USS Carter Hall dock landing ship.

The USS Bataan brought an amphibious squadron, fleet surgical team, tactical air control, helicopter sea combat group and other specialized forces.

An amphibious assault ship can carry more than two dozen rotary-wing and fixed-wing aircraft, including MV-22 Osprey tilt-rotor aircraft and AV-8B Harrier attack jets.

The increased military presence and surveillance have been conducted through the 11-nation International Maritime Security Construct (IMSC) and the eight-nation European Maritime Awareness in the Strait of Hormuz (EMASoH).

Partner of choice

The enhanced military presence demonstrates how the US military works to be a partner of choice in the region.

And the MEU's groundbreaking work to secure safe passage of ships in the region will help create a blueprint for allies and partners to continue using in the future.

With the deployment of the 26th MEU, the United States is the main provider of security in the Strait of Hormuz, through which a fifth of the world's oil passes.

Russia and China have made few security contributions in the region, even as Iran has been shipping more oil than ever to China -- casting doubt on Moscow and Beijing's ability to be partners in the region.

Iran's oil exports to China were at a 10-year high last summer, according to data released in August.

Iran was exporting 1.5 million barrels per day of crude oil to China in August, according to the international data intelligence firm Kpler, cited by Iran's official Islamic Republic News Agency.

That sum represents the most shipments since 2013 and was a significant bump up from the 917,000 barrels per day to China that Iran averaged in the first half of the year.

These shipments came during the same period of Iran's aggression with little or no response from the Chinese navy, an indication that it is either unwilling or unable to respond.