The number of potentially dangerous incidents between the Iranian and American warships in the Persian Gulf increased by more than 50% in 2016 compared with the same period last year. On it informs TV channel Fox News, citing data from the Ministry of defense.
According to the Fifth fleet of the US Navy in 2015, there were about 30 dangerous encounters between Iranian ships and the us Navy in the Persian Gulf. This year the number of such incidents, there are already at least, 30. “The pace we will exceed last year’s figures by more than 50%”, – quotes the channel of a representative of the Pentagon.
This week in the Persian Gulf occurred just two incidents involving ships of the American and Iranian navies. So, on Thursday Reuters sources at the Pentagon told about the threat of Iranian rapprochement boats with the American destroyer USS Nitze. The incident, according to them, happened on August 23 in the vicinity of the Strait of Hormuz. Boats of the Iranian Islamic revolutionary guard Corps, according to sources from the Pentagon, held a “high speed intercept”, a U.S. destroyer, “despite repeated warnings”. Two Iranian vessels were at a distance of 300 yards from the destroyer, sources told Reuters, calling those actions “dangerous and unprofessional.”
Last Friday, CNN, citing its sources reported about another incident in the Northern part of the Persian Gulf. There is a US Navy ship fired three warning shots when you approach him, the Iranian boat. According to the channel, the crew of the American ship tried to contact the command of the Iranian ship, but failed to do so. He also signaled with flares to an Iranian ship left the territory. After these attempts, the American ship fired three shots into the water as a warning.
Then us Department of state spokesperson Elizabeth Trudeau said that such incidents “unnecessarily escalate tension,” stressing that the US does not know about Iran’s intentions.
This week, Iranian defense Minister Hossein Dehghan said that his warships in the country will continue to oppose any US Navy ships stranded near the territorial waters of Iran. “If an American ship enters the waters of Iran, he will certainly receive a warning. We will monitor them and if they violate our border, we will fight,” recalls Fox News his words.
