(Photo : U.S. Navy/ Getty Images)
A US ship fires 30 warning shots to zipping fast attack boats harassing the US guided-missile submarine Georgia running on the surface of the Hormuz Straits. The US Coast armed with .50-cal machine guns fired to keep the Iranian Red Guard away from the unsubmerged submersible.
US Ship Fires 30 Warning Shots to keep motorboats at bay
The Pentagon spokesman John Kirby reported US escort ships encountered the notorious paramilitary Revolutionary Guard harassing American ships that enter the Strait of Hormuz last Monday, noted CNBC. As many as 13 armed speedy attack boats harassed the American convoy as it made its way into that part of Persian Gulf, reported the Daily Mail.
The 30 warning shots fired by the US ships are just the second occasion that the harassing Iranian maritime militia has targeted US ships in the gulf. Based on the encounter, the Iranian boats were more aggressive in their maneuvers.
Based on account of the encounter, American gunners trained their 50-cals in controlled bursts to warn the aggressive boats before they left the area.
Kirby declined to elaborate on the Iranian Revolutionary Guard's behavior when asked if they appeared to be seeking to pick a confrontation with the US Navy.
He added," 'Regrettably, IRGC Navy harassment is not a new development. It's something that all of our commanding officers and vessel crews have been prepared to contend with." ABC Net Australia mentioned the incident.
Pentagon reporters were told that the aggressive activity directed against US assets in the Persia Gulf could end badly for someone. Anything wrong that can happen will not serve in the good interest of Iran or the US, as US ship fires 30 warning shots.
Related article: US Navy Warns Foreign Ships in the Persian Gulf to Keep Distance or Face the Consequences
A guided-missile cruiser, the USS Monterey, was among six Navy escort ships.
The Monterey had confiscated an arms cargo aboard a dhow in the Arabian Sea just before, seemingly bound for Yemen, where Iran supports the Houthi rebels.
Two Iranian boats repositioned from the others and put themselves on the opposite side of the US ship formation.
After that, the two sped up to the US ships, menacingly alarming the US sailors.
US crews gave several alerts to both groups of Iranian boats in an attempt to de-escalate the scenario, including repeated bridge-to-bridge verbal warnings, according to Navy Cmdr. Rebecca Rebarich, a Navy 5th Fleet spokesperson.
The Coast Guard cutter Maui unleashed a volley of warning shots from its.50-caliber machine gun after two Iranian boats failed to respond to multiple warnings and drifted to within a dangerous 300 yards.
When the Iranian boats got within 150 yards, it fired another salvo of warning shots. These two Iranian boats then 'changed course and distanced away from US forces,' according to Rebarich.
When asked if US ships can fire directly at hostile Iranian boats to sink them, the official refused to elaborate on the rules of engagement.
They always have the right to defend themselves, and they understand how to use it,' he said.
Iranians choose the straits of Hormuz that are narrow for larger US ships but perfect for smaller attack craft.
US ship fires 30 warning shots will not be the end as the strait will be where Iranians prefer to operate against bigger US ships.
Related article: US Navy Sends the USS Makin Island, Marine F-35s to the Persian Gulf
