The US navy is changing tactics in Iraq as Operation New Dawn gets underway, the Naval Forces press team has confirmed.

Writing for the Defense Video and Imagery Distribution System, Lieutenant John Rogers said that since August, when Operation Iraqi Freedom drew to a close, naval forces have looked to enable local security forces to take control of ports and territorial waters.

Lieutenant Rogers explained that policing Iraq's waters presents unique challenges, as such a high volume of trade is carried out in a relatively small region in the south of the country.

The oil ports of Umm Qasr and Basrah both require particularly stringent security standards and have been the site of numerous training programmes.

The most recent session, which took place in Basrah on August 4th, focused on oil terminal defence.

Iraq's petroleum ministry has also this year been working to boost oil revenues by inviting international oil companies back to the country, nearly two decades after they were forced out due to sanctions imposed during the Gulf War.

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