Iran: No Rockets Fired Near US Ships

Iran recently transferred a large amount of enriched uranium to Russian Federation, but Cordesman said that wasn’t necessarily a reason for the guard to show force.

These provocations, with the country potentially weeks away from receiving billions in sanctions relief under the nuclear deal, are fueling renewed concerns in Washington about whether Iran will be held to account for violations.

The dispute comes after Iran and six world powers, including the US, reached a historic deal in July that will remove certain US, EU, and United Nations sanctions on Tehran in exchange for Iran accepting curbs on its nuclear program.

Iran’s navy conducted rocket tests on Saturday near U.S. warships and other commercial vessels in the Strait of Hormuz, the USA military said on Wednesday.

Iranian and US forces have clashed in the Gulf in the past, especially during the Iran-Iraq war in the 1980s after the 1979 Islamic revolution.

“It’s getting closer”, Cmdr.

The firing came just 23 minutes after Iranian authorities gave naval traffic in the area notice, said Navy Commander Kyle Raines, spokesman for US Central Command, according to Reuters.

The rockets came close to commercial traffic and three vessels – the aircraft carrier Harry S. Truman, the destroyer Bulkeley and the French frigate Provence – that are part of a military coalition fighting the Islamic State, Stephens said. One nautical mile equals 1.151 miles.

The USS Truman Carrier Strike Group, which consists of a carrier air wing, Navy cruiser and four Navy destroyers – was traveling alongside commercial vessels and a partner French Frigate, the Friendship Provenance. “It is also notable that the Iranian craft or small boats encroached on the internationally recognized maritime traffic lanes and Omani territorial waters”, Hawkins explained.

The Strait of Hormuz is only about 33 kilometres wide at its narrowest point between Iran and Oman. It seized a Marshall Islands-flagged cargo ship and released it in May after earlier surrounding a U.S.-flagged cargo ship transiting the strait.

In the past, Iran has threatened to block the strait, which lies at the entrance of the Arabian Gulf.

“Iran’s missile program has nothing to do with the recent agreement over Iran’s nuclear program, and nothing can prevent Iran from its legitimate and legal right to strengthen its defensive foundations and national security”, he said.

The Iranians announced a previously unannounced live-fire exercise over maritime radio and requested nearby vessels to remain clear, Hawkins added.

Some lawmakers also are pushing for Congress to renew an expiring Iran sanctions law, as leverage in case the US needs to snap back sanctions should Iran violate the deal.