US Central Command released a statement on Tuesday that an Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) Navy patrol boat interacted in an “unsafe and unprofessional manner as U.S. Navy ships transited the Strait of Hormuz, the evening of Dec. 5.”
The Iranian naval vessel attempted to blind two US Navy ships with a spotlight from within 150 yards. The US warships responded with audible warnings and non-lethal lasers, at which point the Iranians backed down, and the US Navy ships were able to continue their transit without incident.
An Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Navy patrol boat interacted in an unsafe and unprofessional manner as U.S. Navy ships transited the Strait of Hormuz, the evening of Dec. 5 @US5thFleet https://t.co/f0c1OmXA3z pic.twitter.com/bVylQdhtB0
— U.S. Central Command (@CENTCOM) December 6, 2022
The US ships involved in the incident were the Expeditionary sea base platform ship USS Lewis B. Puller (ESB 3) and a guided-missile destroyer, the USS The Sullivans (DDG 68).
“This dangerous action in international waters is indicative of Iran’s destabilizing activity across the Middle East,” said Col. Joe Buccino, CENTCOM spokesman.
This is not the first incident of the Iranians attempting to endanger the USS Lewis B. Puller and the USS The Sullivans in the Strait of Hormuz.
More on the USS Lewis B. Puller (ESB 3):
