A group of Iranian boats allegedly harassed two US Coast Guard ships in the Persian Gulf earlier this month. Navy officials announced the incident, stating that it was the first of its nature in a year. The boats came from Iran’s elite Islamic Revolutionary Gaurd Corps, according to the Navy. The incident took place on April 2, right as the US and Iran announced that they would revisit negotiations towards renewing the 2015 nuclear accord. The larger vessel of the group repeatedly crossed in front of the bows of two US vessels as close as 70 yards away, according to officials.
The maneuvers forced the US ships to take defensive actions to avoid a collision. The American crews issued multiple warnings towards the Iranian forces over a three-hour period, however, the Iranian ships continued to circle and harass them. It is unclear what the intent of the incident was, and the Islamic Revolutionary Gaurd Corps’s Navy has not responded to Navy officials publicly disclosing the event.
Read More: Iranian Ships Swarmed U.S. Coast Guard Vessels in Persian Gulf, Navy Says
