U.S. Navy: Encounter with Iranian Vessels was 'Safe and Professional'

The U.S. Navy states that the recent encounter between American ships and Iranian vessels, which included warning shots from flares, was a 'safe and professional' confrontation. This incident occurred on Friday afternoon, August 6, and the IRGC Navy claims that this encounter involved warning shots and two aerial shots fired by American ships as a warning to an IRGC patrol vessel. This was the second encounter between Iranian vessels and American ships in the Persian Gulf in the past week, which the IRGC Navy described as unprofessional and provocative. Military expert Hossein Aryan commented on the recent events in the Persian Gulf, stating that the Rasalat (77 km away), Roshadat (formerly Rostam at 100 km), and Salman (formerly Sasan at 130 km) oil wells are located south of Lavan Island in a triangular formation. The Sasan oil field and the Abu Al-Bukhush field of the United Arab Emirates share resources and are located on the continental shelf border of the two countries. The presence of IRGC vessels in that area is necessary and justified for the protection of the wells and Iran's interests. It is still unclear how close this vessel came to the aircraft carrier. Overall, given the increasing tensions between Iran and the U.S., including U.S. sanctions following the launch of the Simorgh satellite carrier rocket, the possibility of miscalculations in the Persian Gulf between American ships and IRGC vessels is very high, which could lead to conflict. If there were good faith, which there is not, establishing a communication channel (red line) could be a breakthrough, or at least IRGC boats could listen on channel 16 (VHF) according to international maritime law and communicate with passing American ships and vice versa. The U.S. House of Representatives has passed a bill requiring the Trump administration to establish this communication channel to prevent misunderstandings, but it seems that the Islamic Republic is not willing to do so. Previously, IRGC commanders rejected such an idea, and Ali Fadavi, commander of the IRGC Navy, stated: 'Whenever we go to the Gulf of Mexico, we will establish direct communication with the U.S., and from the perspective of the Islamic Republic of Iran, the illegitimate presence of the U.S. in the Persian Gulf has no meaning.' However, as reported by the Associated Press on Saturday, this incident occurred after one of its helicopters, during routine patrols in international waters, witnessed several Iranian vessels approaching American ships 'at maximum possible speed.' According to this report, after the helicopter's attempt to establish contact went unanswered, it fired flares to encourage the Iranian vessels to change course. The Associated Press, citing a Navy spokesperson, states that even after contact was established, the Iranian vessels fired in the waters surrounding the American ships. Last Tuesday, after an Iranian vessel approached an American Navy patrol boat, the American boat was forced to fire warning shots. American sailors present on this patrol boat reported that the Iranian vessel had approached them 'dangerously.' For both incidents, the IRGC provided a different narrative, claiming that the American ships had approached the Iranian missile boat 'in the oil and gas area of Rasalat, in the central region of the Persian Gulf.' Regarding the incident on Tuesday, the IRGC claimed that the U.S. warship had made a 'provocative move' against the Iranian vessel. Recently, the U.S. House of Representatives, by passing an amendment to the National Defense Authorization Act, requested the Pentagon to establish a communication line with Iran to avoid accidental conflict with Iranian forces in the Persian Gulf, although Iran has previously rejected the proposal for establishing a communication line with the U.S. through the voice of the IRGC Navy commander. American officials have repeatedly described the actions of IRGC vessels in approaching their ships as 'unprofessional' and 'unsafe.' White House officials have previously warned about the 'risk of miscalculation' resulting from these encounters. On the other hand, Iranian officials always state that their vessels operate within Iran's maritime borders. The Iranian Ministry of Defense states 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 election campaign, stated that if elected, he would order the targeting of Iranian vessels if they 'interfere' with American ships. Mr. Trump said in September 2016, 'When they want to circle around our beautiful destroyers with their small boats... they will be shot at and thrown out of the waters.' In this context, 'the second encounter' of IRGC vessels with American ships in a week, the IRGC: the American ship made a provocative move against our patrol vessel, the American ship fired warning shots in response to the approach of the armed Iranian boat, the U.S. House of Representatives' proposal to establish a communication line with Iran in the Persian Gulf, an American commander reported 'unprofessional' behavior of an Iranian boat in the Strait of Hormuz.