A US Navy vessel fired a flare towards an approaching Iranian military speedboat in the Strait of Hormuz, the US Fifth Fleet said.
Monday’s incident involving the patrol ship USS Sirocco comes amid tensions as Western powers and the Islamic Republic seek to salvage their tattered 2015 nuclear deal.
“Three Navy vessels from Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps interacted in an unsafe and unprofessional manner as US Navy vessels transited the Strait of Hormuz,” the US Navy statement said. .
“One of the vessels approached Sirocco abreast at dangerously high speed and only changed course after the US coastal patrol vessel sounded warning signals to avoid collision.
“The Iranian vessel also came within 50 yards (45 yards) of the US Navy vessel during the interaction, and Sirocco responded by deploying a flare.”
Washington has repeatedly accused Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps of disrupting maritime traffic in the strategic Strait of Hormuz, a choke point through which a fifth of the world’s oil production passes.
The latest incident comes after Iranian guards boarded and seized two Greek-flagged tankers in the Gulf on May 27. Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei called it retaliation after Greece, in a seizure, “stole” Iranian oil.
The US Navy said Monday’s incident “lasted an hour and ended when the IRGCN craft left the area.”
