Iran’s IRGC harasses US Navy in Persian Gulf as nuclear talks stall

The "unsafe and unprofessional" encounter was at least the second in just a few months, a Navy official confirmed.
In this photo made available by the US Navy, a boat of Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Navy operates in close proximity to patrol coastal ship USS Sirocco.
In this photo made available by the US Navy, a boat of Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Navy operates in close proximity to patrol coastal ship USS Sirocco (PC 6) and expeditionary fast transport USNS Choctaw County (T-EPF 2) in the Strait of Hormuz, Monday, June 20, 2022. - US Navy
Jared Szuba headshot (new)
Jared Szuba
@JM_Szuba

The crew of a fast boat belonging to Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) weaved headlong into the path of a US Navy ship in the Persian Gulf on June 20, in the latest tense encounter between the two adversaries in Middle Eastern waters.

The IRGC boat approached the USS Sirocco “head-on at a dangerously high speed,” coming within 50 yards (46 meters) of the American ship before altering course after the Sirocco’s crew blew the ship’s horn, the US Navy’s Fifth Fleet said in a statement.

Access the Middle East news and analysis you can trust

Join our community of Middle East readers to experience all of Al-Monitor, including 24/7 news, analyses, memos, reports and newsletters.

Subscribe

Only $100 per year.

Videos

See more