Iran escalates high seas harassment of US Navy

U.S. coastal patrol ship FIREBOAT faced seven Iranian Republican Guard Corps Navy fast in-shore attack craft before swerving to avoid crashing into one on SundayA U.S. coastal patrol ship faced seven Iranian Republican Guard Corps Navy fast in-shore attack craft before swerving to avoid crashing into one on Sunday, according to a 5th Fleet spokesman.

Though the situation did not escalate, it’s the kind that the Navy would have reported to the State Department with a request for a message of protest, if the usa and Iran had an official diplomatic relationship. The latest incident saw seven Iranian fast boats take a course that had them coming head on with the USS Firebolt with one of the seven coming a mere 100 yards (91 meters) from the ship forcing it to alter its course.

Three of the ships “maneuvered close to the ship, shadowing her course from a range of about 500 yards”, Davis said.

In late August, a U.S. Navy patrol craft fired warning shots toward an Iranian fast-attack vessel that approached two U.S. ships. “They eventually broke off”. Another FIAC then sped towards Firebolt and stopped directly in front of the ship, causing the Firebolt crew to maneuver to avoid a collision.

“During the interaction, the Firebolt attempted multiple radio communications with the Iranians” that went unheeded, said Davis.

“This is another example of another unsafe and unprofessional interaction we’ve had with the IRGCN in the Gulf”.

“That type of behavior is very concerning, and we hope to see Iran’s naval forces act in a more professional manner”. The crew-served weapons on deck were uncovered and manned but untrained according to accounts, he added. US officials are concerned that these actions by Iran could lead to mistakes.

Another defense official said that the Iranian actions created “a risky, harassing situation that could have led to further escalation including additional defensive measures by Firebolt”.

“The big concern here is miscalculation”, U.S. Central Command Commander Gen. Joseph Votel said last week, adding, “If they continue to test us, we are going to respond, and we are going to protect ourselves and our partners”.

Kenneth Pollack, a former top Central Intelligence Agency and White House official, said that one or two incidents could have been explained “as being the work of an over-zealous commander” within Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.