IRG Denies Pentagon’s Claim, Slams US Vessels’ ‘Unprofessional’ Maneuvers in Hormuz

By Staff, Agencies

The Islamic Revolution Guard [IRG] Navy rejected the Pentagon’s “untrue” account of what has happened during a recent encounter between the US naval forces and IRG vessels in Iran’s southern waters, warning the “terrorist” US military forces to avoid unprofessional maneuvers.

In a statement released on Tuesday, the IRG Navy dismissed the claim raised by Pentagon spokesman John Kirby that IRG speed boats have buzzed close to US vessels in the Strait of Hormuz.

Denouncing the “untrue” American claims as a move for pinning the blame on others, the IRG advised the Americans to “avoid unprofessional behavior and obey maritime laws and regulations in order not to jeopardize the Gulf security.”

Kirby has claimed that a US vessel fired warning shots at 13 IRG Navy boats that had approached seven US vessels at high speeds in the narrow Strait of Hormuz on Monday. The Pentagon’s spokesperson said the Iranian vessels closed within 140 meters before one of the US vessels fired 30 shots in two volleys, until they moved away.

The IRG Navy said in the statement that the “terrorist” US military forces have displayed unprofessional behavior in the Gulf, particularly in the current month, and continue to pose a serious threat to regional security.

According to the statement, the IRG Navy’s patrol vessels were conducting their routine daily missions in Iran’s territorial waters on Monday, May 10, when they encountered seven US vessels in the Strait of Hormuz as the Americans displayed unprofessional behavior such as flying choppers, shooting flares, and firing untargeted, unnecessary and provocative shots.

The IRG vessels stayed away from the US forces at the legal distance within the framework of maritime regulations and warned them against dangerous and unprofessional moves, the statement noted, adding that the Americans “corrected their behavior” after the warning and kept sailing in their path.

The IRG Navy noted that the untrue account of the encounter provided by the Pentagon spokesman is aimed at pretending that the US forces feel responsible for preventing risks, while “it is the Americans that have become the center of instability, making of threats, and emergence of risks that cause insecurity in the region, including the Strait of Hormuz and the Gulf, with their illegitimate presence.”

“The Americans must avoid untrue stories and unprofessional behaviors and seriously abide by international regulations as well as the maritime and band control laws in the strategic region of the Hormuz Strait and the Gulf,” the statement underlined.