Amid increasing maritime tensions, IRGC Navy Commander reported a confrontational encounter between IRGCN forces and U.S. warships transiting the Strait of Hormuz. The incident, involving warnings from Iran’s Zolfaqar naval brigade and the forced return of U.S. helicopters to a warship, comes as the United States bolsters its military presence in the Persian Gulf and the Red Sea. Simultaneously, an American-owned oil tanker suspected of carrying sanctioned Iranian crude has offloaded its cargo in Texas, despite IRGCN’s threats. The situation has drawn attention to escalating maritime tensions between Iran and the United States, with both nations taking assertive stances in a delicate international climate, evolving a possible deal between the two states to exchange prisoners and unlock Tehran’s $7 billion in assets frozen in South Korea.
In a meeting with high-ranking officials and commanders at the end of the 24th Supreme Assembly of IRGC Commanders on Aug. 19, IRGC Navy (IRGCN) Commander Rear Adm Alireza Tangsiri claimed that the Zolfaqar naval brigade in charge of controlling the Strait of Hormuz had issued a warning to a U.S. warship as it was transiting the Strait of Hormuz on Aug. 17 they and “forced helicopters to return land on the ship.” U.S. warships have recently deployed to the region to deter Iran from attacking commercial vessels.
The footage on Iran stat-run t Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting( IRIB) purports to show the USS Bataan (LHD-5) and USS Thomas Hudner (DDG-116) and the moment Iranian speedboats approached them. An exchange of radio messages between the two parties was also recorded. Footage shows Bell AH-1Z Viper and Sikorsky MH-60S Seahawk helicopters from the U.S. Navy. Marines from the 26th Marine Expeditionary Unit took part in a fast-rope exercise on the Wasp-class amphibious assault ship USS Bataan.
https://video.wixstatic.com/video/94fc0c_0bcf922d81374dd6b925dd24e77b95ed/480p/mp4/file.mp4
Tangsiri asserted that Iran and other countries in the region could establish peace and security in the Gulf and that the outsiders’ presence was unnecessary. He described the action against the American force as “an intelligent interception and authoritative presence on the part of Iranians, adding that “the children of the Iranian nation, especially the courageous IRGCN, will not allow this strategic region to once again become the den (a reference to the Iranian term of the American embassy in Tehran before the revolution) of enemies.”
The reported maritime incident occurred amid a recent agreement between Iran and the United States to exchange prisoners and unlock Tehran’s $7 billion in assets frozen in South Korea. The United States is also boosting its military presence in the Red Sea and the Persian Gulf in response to Iran’s continued threats and attempted seizures of commercial vessels transiting the Strait of Hormuz. The United States is also considering deploying armed personnel on commercial ships traveling through the Strait of Hormuz to deter Iran from seizing more vessels.
Meanwhile, according to tracking data, An American-owned oil tanker, the Marshall Islands-flagged Suez Rajan, suspected of transporting sanctioned Iranian crude oil, has offloaded (Aug. 20) its cargo near Galveston, Texas. This ship-to-ship transfer occurred despite Tehran’s threats against shipping in the Persian Gulf.
Since the collapse of the JCPOA, Iran has sought to evade sanctions and sell oil abroad, while the U.S. and its allies have seized cargo. Iran’s Revolutionary Guard has warned of retaliation against those involved in the Suez Rajan’s offloading. The Los Angeles-based private equity firm Oaktree Capital Management, the owners of the Suez Rajan, and U.S. officials have not commented on the situation.
We must now observe whether Iran will act on its promise in response to the oil unloading at the Texas port, a move that could potentially heighten the existing maritime tensions between Iran and the United States.
Iran Dossier Iran Warns of Retaliation Over Seized Oil Unloading in Texas
