Three vessels from Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Navy (IRGCN) interacted in an ‘unsafe and unprofessional manner’ as US Navy ships transited the Strait of Hormuz.
The Fifth Fleet announced on Tuesday that patrol coastal ship USS Sirocco and fast transport ship USNS Choctaw County were conducting a routine transit in international waters on Monday when three Iranian fast inshore attack craft approached. “One of the IRGCN vessels approached Sirocco head-on at a dangerously high speed and only altered course after the US patrol coastal ship issued audible warning signals to avoid collision,” stated the Fifth Fleet.
“The Iranian vessel also came within 50 yards of the US Navy ship during the interaction, and Sirocco responded by deploying a warning flare.” The full interaction among all vessels lasted one hour and ended when the IRGCN craft departed the area.
• For the full story read tomorrow’s GDN.
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