Three Iranian vessels face off two US ships in Gulf: Washington Post
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A US official claims that the IRGC vessels approached the US ships while they were in routine transit through international waters in the Gulf.
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The USS Sirocco (Archive)
Three vessels controlled by Iran's Islamic Revolution Guard Corps (IRGC) "buzzed" Monday two US ships at a “dangerously high speed,” The Washington Post quoted a US military official as saying.
The official said three IRGC vessels designed for fast attack approached the USS Sirocco, a Cyclone-class patrol ship, and the USNS Choctaw County, a fast transport vessel, claiming that the US ships were in routine transit through international waters in the Persian Gulf.
The US military official also claimed that the IRGC vessels came within 50 yards of the USNS Choctaw County, triggering the Sirocco to deploy a warning flare.
Col. Joseph Buccino, a spokesperson for US Central Command, claimed that the Iranian navy’s actions "did not meet the international standards of professional or safe maritime behavior, increasing the risk of miscalculation and collision.”
Buccino insisted that "CENTCOM forces will continue to fly, sail and operate anywhere in the area of responsibility international law allows while promoting regional stability," although they are in waters thousands of kilometers away from home.
According to officials, the interaction that last lasted about an hour ended when the IRGC ships departed.
The Washington Post said that "it is unclear whether the interactions at sea are related to negotiations toward a new international pact to manage Iran’s nuclear ambitions, which have largely stalled."
This comes after the US Treasury Department imposed new sanctions on a network of Iranian petrochemical firms including alleged front companies in China and the United Arab Emirates for Iran's state-owned company and Triliance, a Hong Kong-based company already under US sanctions for its dealing with Tehran.
In the same context, the Commander of the IRGC Navy Force, Rear Admiral Ali Reza Tangsiri, announced that new naval tools and modern equipment will be utilized during the current Iranian year.
Tangsiri told Fars news agency that new defense products will be utilized by the IRGC Navy in the near future.
