Iran’s IRGC Navy harassed US ships in Strait of Hormuz - official
A patrol boat belonging to Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) took “unsafe and unprofessional” action by crossing into the path of two US Navy ships as they transited the Strait of Hormuz after dark on Monday night, the US military said on December 6.
The IRGC Navy patrol boat “attempted to blind the bridge by shining a spotlight and crossed within 150 yards of the US ships - dangerously close, particularly at night,” US Central Command said in a statement, according to Al-Monitor.
The close encounter involved the guided missile destroyer USS The Sullivans and the sea base platform ship, USS Lewis B. Puller.
The US ships “safely de-escalated the situation through the employment of audible warnings and non-lethal lasers,” CENTCOM said. “US Navy ships continued their transit without further incident.
“The IRGC [Navy’s] actions violated international standards of professional and safe maritime behaviour, increasing the risk of miscalculation and collision,” the command said.