Iran escalates high seas harassment of US Navy – CNN – cnn.com

Category: Iran

The provocative maneuver, which on Sunday brought the Iranian boat within 100 yards of the Firebolt, a coastal patrol boat that carries a crew of about 30, was assessed by the US to be unsafe and unprofessional and could have led to a collision, the official said.

There have been 31 unsafe America encounters with Iranian vessels in the Persian Gulf so far this year, up from 23 in all of 2015, the official said.

US Army Gen. Joseph Votel, Commander of US Central Command, last week called the Iranian conduct "concerning."

"In recent days, we have witnessed even more provocative activity by the IRGC and Navy vessels. That type of behavior is very concerning, and we hope to see Iran's naval forces act in a more professional manner," he said.

Votel believes the "unsafe, unprofessional" behavior is an attempt by Iran to "exert their influence and authority in the region."

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Iran escalates high seas harassment of US Navy - CNN - cnn.com

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September 13th, 2016
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