According to the Washington Post, in a serious incident, the US Navy in the Middle East was severely provoked by Iranian naval boats under the control of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps on Monday.
The USS Sirocco, a Cyclone-class patrol vessel, and the USNS Choctaw County, a high-speed cargo ship, were crossing international waters in the Persian Gulf as three Iranian boats approached the Sirocco, according to a U.S. military official. Were. He spoke on condition of anonymity.
#Break: United States and #Iran On Monday, two American ships buzzed with what the US military called “very dangerous speed” after three ships controlled by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps in Tehran.
– Jason Brodsky (@JasonMBrodsky) June 20, 2022
He continued: “They retreated only after the Sirocco sounded the alarm signal, and the Iranian boats also approached and reached the 50 yards of the Choctaw County ship, which was pushing the ship to give a light warning.”
Col. Joseph Buchino, spokesman for the US Central Command, said the actions of the Iranian Navy “do not comply with international standards of professional and safe maritime conduct and increase the risk of miscalculations and collisions.”
He continued: “US Central Command forces will continue to fly, sail and operate anywhere in the region, which is permitted by international law while promoting regional stability.”
The remarkable interaction on Monday, which lasted about an hour, ended with the departure of Iranian ships from the area, officials said. This was the last close encounter between Iranian and American ships in the Persian Gulf.
Last year, three Iranian attack ships reportedly went at the same speed as two American ships patrolling international waters in the Persian Gulf, approaching 68 yards away, firing American ships with warning bullets.
And “unprofessional” when he was bypassing American ships.
The Iranian military says Iranian ships are harassing American ships in the Persian Gulf, and the United States periodically accuses Iranian planes of conducting menacing and dangerous maneuvers against American ships in international waters.
It is unclear whether Iran’s provocations at sea over nuclear talks have stopped.
Last week, the US Treasury Department imposed new sanctions on a group of Iranian petrochemical producers and related “leading companies” that the US government believed would help Tehran circumvent previous sanctions.
Source: Lebanon Debate
