Alwaght- An Iranian military boat has warned off a US warship that was aggressively approaching an Iranian dhow in the Sea of Oman, the Navy of the Islamic Republic of Iran Army said in a statement on Sunday.
"The dhow, Shams (Sun), had set sail from the port city of Jask in southeastern Iran to test its motor. Forty-five miles (72 kilometers) into the sea, the vessel’s motor started to malfunction, prompting the sailors to alert the Iranian Navy," it said.
The Navy dispatched Falakhan (Sling) missile boat to the vessel’s rescue, which towed the broken-down dhow to the port but before that, the US destroyer was seen approaching the site, it said.
"The American warship left the area with a warning and the announcement of the Falakhan missile boat's timely presence in the region," the statement said.
Iran's naval patrols and US warships have been engaged in a series of face-offs in the Persian Gulf in recent months, where Washington has accused Iranian vessels of "harassing" American warships.
Iranian military commanders say while their units continue routine patrols, US naval units have changed their navigational patterns since President Donald Trump came into office, often engaging in provocative maneuvers near Iran's vessels.
The Islamic Republic has repeatedly warned that any act of transgression into Iran’s territorial waters would be met with an immediate and befitting response.
On Tuesday last week, Chief of Staff of the Iranian Armed Forces Major General Mohammad Hossein Baqeri slammed the US for dispatching its naval forces to the Persian Gulf from thousands of miles away and trying to force other vessels to make arrangements with American warships when passing by.
“The international maritime law has set regulations for territorial waters, high seas and littoral states, and we are patrolling the Persian Gulf in compliance with those legal norms,” the top Iranian commander underlined.
He also slammed as “bitter and hilarious” the notion held by the US that Iran’s patrol operations or military drills in the Persian Gulf should be coordinated with American warships in advance.
