Iran: Forces will warn any vessel after US warship incident

The Iranians allegedly came as close as 300 yards (274 meters) of the Nitze during the encounter. Iran broadcast the sailor’s detentions on television, including video of a Navy Lt. apologizing on camera, in violation of USA military regulations.

They come against the backdrop of renewed United States diplomatic contacts with Iran. When the Iranian boats continued to approach, “they had to take the additional steps”, Cook said at the Pentagon. In the second encounter, occurring in the Persian Gulf on Wednesday, a U.S. Navy ship was forced to fire three warning shots at the Iranian aggressors. Bill Urban, public affairs officer for US Naval Forces Central Command, according to Stars and Stripes, in referring to the Nitze incident. The official spoke to CNN anonymously to discuss military matters. Stout changed course to avoid the IRGCN vessel and used unspecified, “devices to discourage the IRGCN vessel from continuing their approach towards Stout”.

The Nitze hailed the boats by radio 12 times with no response, the statement said.

The trio crossed Tempest’s bow within 600 yards three times.

Iranian harassment of American vessels in the Strait of Hormuz is nothing new.

The intercept was another tense incident between the longtime foes over the past year.

In January, Iranian Revolutionary Guard craft briefly captured two small Navy patrol craft and the 10 sailors aboard them who admittedly had strayed into Iranian waters off Farsi island in the Gulf. The sailors were released soon after.

His comment followed Pentagon officials claim that Iranian speedboats “harassed” U.S. warships in the Strait of Hormuz, PressTV reported.

Iranian Defense Minister Hossein Dehghan said Iranian maritime units are responsible for the security of Iran and the Persian Gulf and are obliged to monitor actions of foreign vessels in the region.

Iran’s semiofficial Tasnim news agency on Thursday quoted General Hosein Dehghan as saying, “If any foreign vessel enters our waters, we warn them, and if it’s an invasion, we confront”.

Later that day, Tempest and Squall were harassed by a single Iranian Naser-class patrol boat, which is known to be operated by the IRGC.

Mr Cook said the intention of the Iranian ships was unclear but their behaviour was unacceptable, as the boats were in worldwide waters.

Chief of Naval Operations Adm. John Richardson told the Associated Press that the incident with Nitze raised questions about what is the new normal in the volatile relationship with Iran.