After Iranian gunboats opened fire on the Bahamas-flagged tanker Richmond Voyager on July 5, the Pentagon finally lost patience. It announced it would deploy a destroyer and F-16 and F-35 fighters to reinforce US forces – including F-22 stealth fighters and a pair of destroyers – already in the Middle East. The extra forces would “defend US interests and safeguard freedom of navigation in the region,” Deputy Pentagon Press Secretary Sabrina Singh said.

Is the Bahamas a protectorate of the United States? If these tankers wanna wave the bahamian flag then they should go to the bahamian Navy for help