Image source: topwar.ru
On Monday, during the passage of the American patrol ship Sirocco and the transport ship USNS Choctaw County through the Strait of Hormuz, three boats of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps of Iran approached them a short distance.
The US Navy ship Sirocco beeped to prevent a collision, as one of the boats was heading straight for the ship at "dangerously high speed." Sirocco also fired a flare when the IRGC boat was too close to it.
Such a strange interaction between American and Iranian ships lasted about an hour and ended when the IRGC boats left the specified area. The official statement of the US Navy emphasizes that the ships of the American Fleet continued their further journey without any excesses. The IRGC's actions in the statement were called inconsistent with international standards of safe behavior at sea, which increased the risks of collision.
A video shot by American navy sailors was posted on the Internet. It shows how the Boghammar patrol boat of the Iranian Guard turns towards the American ship Sirocco, while the warship repeatedly honks.
Recall that this is not the first such incident involving Iranian commandos. The Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps of Iran has its own naval forces, an important role in which is played by maneuverable boats that can act very quickly and boldly. In March 2022, there was already a similar behavior of Iranian boats in relation to American ships.
Tehran considers the Strait of Hormuz, like the Persian Gulf, to be a zone of its interests and influence, and has an extremely negative attitude to the presence of American warships in this region. Therefore, there is no doubt that such actions of the IRGC will continue further.
