Second Confrontation of IRGC Vessels with US Navy Ships in a Week

The Navy of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) reported on Saturday, July 29, about the second confrontation of its patrol vessels with US military ships in the Persian Gulf within the past week. According to the IRNA news agency, the public relations of the Zulfiqar naval group of the IRGC's fourth naval region announced that this confrontation involved warning shots and two aerial shots fired by US ships as a warning to an IRGC patrol vessel. The report states that this confrontation occurred on Friday afternoon, July 28, in the oil and gas area of "Resalat" in the central region of the Persian Gulf. The IRGC's announcement states that "the Nimitz aircraft carrier and its accompanying cruiser were under surveillance and tracking by the Zulfiqar missile corvettes of the IRGC's fourth naval region while approaching the IRGC vessels." The announcement added that the Americans "fired warning flares at the Zulfiqar vessels" but the IRGC forces "continued their mission in the area," leading to the "aircraft carrier and accompanying cruiser leaving the area." This news comes after US defense officials announced on Tuesday, July 25, that an Iranian patrol vessel approached the US ship "Thunderbolt" during exercises with US and allied ships in the Persian Gulf, coming within about 140 meters of it. The third naval region of the IRGC released a different account of the encounter on Tuesday, claiming that the US warship had made a "provocative move" against the Iranian vessel. The IRGC is responsible for the protection and security of Iran's territorial waters. The confrontation on Friday marks the fourth encounter of the IRGC's patrols with US ships in the past five months. Two years ago, on the eve of the implementation of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), the IRGC Navy detained 10 American sailors but released them less than a day later. The United States has adopted a tougher stance towards Iran, particularly the IRGC, in recent months, and the US Congress is considering the possibility of designating this military force as a terrorist organization. The Islamic Republic of Iran denies that its activities and those of its related institutions are "terroristic."