Washington: Iranian ships repeatedly harassed and approached American vessels conducting operations in the Persian Gulf before disengaging after multiple warnings, according to U.S. Central Command.
Eleven ships with Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps repeatedly crossed the bows and sterns of the American vessels at extremely close range and high speeds on Wednesday, Central Command said in a statement.
The “dangerous and provocative actions increased the risk of miscalculation and collision,” according to the statement, which added that U.S. commanders on the scene “retain the inherent right to act in self-defense.”
The Iranian vessels responded to bridge-to-bridge radio queries after about an hour then maneuvered away, Central Command said.
Iran has disrupted shipping routes in the Persian Gulf and used asymmetrical warfare to undermine American interests across the Middle East, though rarely does it target U.S. ships directly.
An Iranian surface-to-air missile system shot down a U.S. Navy surveillance drone last June while it was operating in international airspace over the Strait of Hormuz. Iran said the drone was over its territory. The attack escalated regional tensions and fueled a surge in oil prices.
As the U.S. military expands its response to outbreak of Covid-19 at home and among its forces, senior defense officials have repeatedly said that the virus wouldn’t disrupt military operations globally.
“We continue our very important national security missions,” Secretary of Defense Mark Esper said during a press briefing on Tuesday. These include performing counterterrorism missions, conducting freedom of navigation operations and deterring Iranian bad behavior, he said.
The U.S. military vessels were conducting joint integration operations with U.S. Army AH-64E Apache attack helicopters in the international waters of the Gulf when the Iranian ships harassed them, Central Command said in the statement. The Iranian ships came within a 50-yard (16-meter) point of approach with the USS Lewis B. Puller and within 10 yards of the bow of the Coast Guard cutter Maui, according to the statement.-Bloomberg
Also read: US Navy was quick to fix responsibility for Covid-19 crisis. Indian military can take lessons