With the establishment of the United States Central Command (CentCom) the previous year—partly in response to the outbreak of the Iran–Iraq War in 1980—Navy warships began patrolling the Arabian Sea in support of CentCom's mission to protect American security interests in the Middle East. "Berkeley" arrived in the Arabian Sea on 16 April and served there for the next six weeks, helping to assure Western access to oil and seeking to stem the spread of Soviet influence in the region. During this period, she visited Al Masirah, Oman, for tender availability alongside .