President Donald Trump is pressuring allies to help secure the Strait of Hormuz, a key maritime choke point that has been effectively closed by Iran in response to the US-Israeli war launched last month.
Trump highlighted the dangers in remarks on Monday, noting that a 'single terrorist' could 'put something in the water' or shoot a missile at ships transiting the narrow waterway bordering the Islamic republic.
Trump said a number of countries had committed to help, while taking aim at others that were not 'enthusiastic' about doing so.
An escort mission could involve navy ships providing cover for tankers and responding if commercial ships were fired upon, said Jonathan Schroden, chief research officer at the Center for Naval Analyses.
Smaller vessels such as destroyers and frigates would be best suited for the mission, which could also involve air cover from helicopters, fixed-wing aircraft, or both.
The US Navy escorted tankers through the Gulf to protect them from Iranian attacks during the Iran-Iraq war in the 1980s, and mines were a threat during that operation.
Trump said Monday that the United States had hit all of Iran's mine-laying ships, destroying more than 30 of them, but that the mines could be transferred to other vessels for deployment.
Washington says Iran's navy has largely been destroyed, but Tehran has missiles, drones, and small attack vessels that could also be used to threaten maritime traffic in the Strait of Hormuz.
