IRGC Urges US to Respect Maritime Law in Persian Gulf
TEHRAN (Tasnim) – The Islamic Revolution Guards Corps Navy dismissed a “Hollywood-style” American account of a recent encounter between the IRGC forces and the US vessels in the Persian Gulf, advising the US to observe the maritime regulations and refrain from adventurism.
In a statement on Sunday, the IRGC Navy refuted the American account of what happened in an encounter between the Iranian forces and the US terrorists in the northern parts of the Persian Gulf on April 15, saying the US Fifth Fleet has provided an “untrue, purposeful and Hollywood-style” description of the event.
The statement came after the US claimed that Iran’s naval vessels had come within 10 yards of American warships in the Persian Gulf in what the US navy described as a series of “dangerous and harassing approaches”. The US Naval Forces Central Command has said that 11 small Iranian boats circled six US warships.
In its statement, the IRGC Navy denounced a repetition of “unprofessional” maneuvers by the “terrorist US naval forces” in the Persian Gulf in recent weeks, saying they have intercepted Iranian ship “Shahid Siavashi” twice, on April 6 and 7.
In order to prevent such “illegal, unprofessional, dangerous and adventurist” moves from the US, ensure the security of Iranian vessels, and fight against the smuggling of fuel, the IRGC Navy increased its patrol units in the Persian Gulf, announced a shooting practice situation and defined the exercise zone on the map, the statement noted.
When a fleet of 11 IRGC Navy boats were deployed to the exercise zone, they encountered the American warships and military vessels, it said, adding that the Americans made “unprofessional and provocative moves” and ignored the warnings from the IRGC forces, but the Iranians forced them to sail out of the path of the IRGC boats.
The IRGC advised the US to respect the international maritime protocols in the Persian Gulf and Sea of Oman, avoid adventurism and fake stories, and be aware that Iran’s military forces consider dangerous moves from outsiders as a red line and a threat to the country’s national security.
Warning the US of Iran’s “decisive response” to any miscalculation, the IRGC Navy said, “The illegitimate presence of the terrorist US regime is the root cause of evil and insecurity in the region, and the only way to strengthen sustainable security in this strategic region is for the Americans to withdraw from West Asia.”
