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On April 15th, 11 Iranian Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) navy vessels “harassed” 6 US warships operating in the north Persian Gulf, US Navy’s Central Command said.
BREAKING: 11 Iranian #IRGCN vessels repeatedly conducted dangerous & harassing approaches against U.S. naval ships operating in international waters of North Arabian Gulf. U.S. crews took actions deemed appropriate to avoid collision.
Details: https://t.co/ZVKPKv738o pic.twitter.com/lKJgDz0l2N
— U.S. Navy (@USNavy) April 15, 2020
The IRGCN vessels repeatedly conducted “dangerous and harassing approaches” of the USS Lewis B. Puller, USS Paul Hamilton, USS Firebolt, USS Sirocco, USCGC Wrangell and USCGC Maui while the U.S. vessels were conducting joint integration operations with U.S. Army AH-64E Apache attack helicopters in the international waters of the North Arabian Gulf.
“The IRGCN vessels repeatedly crossed the bows and sterns of the U.S. vessels at extremely close range and high speeds, including multiple crossings of the Puller with a 50-yard closest point of approach (CPA) and within 10 yards of Maui’s bow.
The U.S. crews issued multiple warnings via bridge-to-bridge radio, five short blasts from the ships’ horns and long-range acoustic noise maker devices, but received no response from the IRGCN.”
After about 1 hour of calls, the IRGCN responded to the bridge-to-bridge radio queries and maneuvered away.
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Of course, accusations of Iranian conduct were quick to follow:
“As expected, Iran is continuing to flex muscle amid the global pandemic, because unlike what Iran hawks keep telling you, it’s neither deterred nor about to hit the pause button on tensions with the US to focus on public health,” Ariane Tabatabai, a Middle East fellow at the German Marshall Fund of the US, wrote on Twitter.
As expected, Iran is continuing to flex muscle amid the global pandemic because unlike what Iran hawks keep telling you, it’s neither deterred nor about to hit the pause button on tensions with the US to focus on public health. https://t.co/khWniGkbdm https://t.co/Bs7C10hi7z
— Ariane Tabatabai (@ArianeTabatabai) April 15, 2020
Video of #IRGCN vessels conducting dangerous & harassing approaches on U.S. naval vessels in the international waters of the North Arabian Gulf. pic.twitter.com/zL9VKQ0eiQ
— U.S. 5th Fleet (@US5thFleet) April 15, 2020
There’s been no official Iranian comment, but Foreign Minister Javad Zarif tweeted, once again, against US’ sanctions regime.
The world is learning what Iran has known & experienced all along: US regime’s bullying, threatening & vainglorious blathering isn’t just an addiction: it kills people.
Like “maximum pressure” against Iran, the shameful defunding WHO amid a pandemic will live in infamy.
— Javad Zarif (@JZarif) April 15, 2020
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