Pentagon's Reaction to IRGC Vessels Approaching US Warship: 'Unsafe and Unprofessional'

In response to the latest encounter between Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps vessels and a US Navy warship in the Strait of Hormuz, the US Department of Defense has labeled Iran's actions as 'unsafe and unprofessional.' The Pentagon stated that Iranian vessels recently approached the warship twice. On March 7, a Pentagon spokesperson officially announced that on March 3, an Iranian corvette came within 150 meters of the 'USS Invincible' light warship. The second incident occurred two days later on March 5, when several small vessels approached within 350 meters of the 'Invincible' and three British naval ships. Hours before the Pentagon spokesperson's remarks, Reuters reported, citing a US government official, that IRGC vessels had come within 550 meters of the 'USS Invincible,' forcing the warship to change its course. Military expert Hossein Aryan told Radio Farda that this American light warship belongs to the 'Maritime Transportation Command' and is tasked with intercepting ballistic missile launches, patrolling the Persian Gulf and Indian Ocean. Captain Jeff Davis, a Pentagon spokesperson, stated that in both encounters on March 3 and 5, the American ship was forced to alter its course to avoid a potential collision due to what he described as 'a combination of unsafe or unprofessional behavior.' The Pentagon spokesperson expressed that 'this is concerning. Such actions could lead to a miscalculation or accidental provocation that we do not want.' This Defense Department official added that 'prior to this recent incident, we had observed improvements in Iran's behavior.' Every year, several such encounters occur between American warships and Iranian vessels; Iran's maritime missions in the Persian Gulf are assigned to the IRGC Navy, and these vessels are almost always affiliated with this military entity. American officials have repeatedly described the actions of IRGC vessels approaching their warships as 'unprofessional' and 'unsafe.' White House officials have previously warned about the 'risk of miscalculation' arising from these encounters. On the other hand, Iranian officials always state that their vessels operate within Iran's territorial waters. The Iranian Defense Ministry claims that the monitoring of foreign vessels by Iranian naval units in the Persian Gulf 'naturally occurs in Iran's territorial waters.' Donald Trump, during his electoral campaign, stated that if elected, he would order the targeting of Iranian fast boats if they 'interfere' with American warships. In September of last year, he remarked, 'When they want to circle around our beautiful destroyers with their small boats... they will be shot at and thrown out of the waters.' Just days before this speech, seven IRGC vessels had approached an American warship, which also changed course to avoid a potential collision.