Iranian vessels was approaching the Marshall Islands-flagged oil tanker TRF Moss in international waters as well as Bahamian-flagged tanker Richmond Voyager, before turning back when a US destroyer arrived, the US Central Command said in a statement.
At 1 am local time, an Iranian vessel approached “TRF Moss in international waters in the Gulf of Oman. The Iranian vessel departed when U.S. Navy guided-missile destroyed USS McFaul (DDG 74) arrived on station,” according to the statement.
“Approximately Three hours later, the U.S. navy received a distress call” from Richmond Voyager, after which the destroyer McFaul made its way to the area “at maximum speed as the merchant tanker continued its transit” while being ordered by an Iranian vessel to stop, the statement added.
Before the American ship’s arrival, the Iranians had “fired multiple, long bursts from both small arms and crew-served weapons” but no casualties or significant material damages were recorded on the Richmond Voyager.
“The Iranian Navy’s unprovoked attack on the Richmond Voyager and their harassment of the TRF Moss violate international law and is disruptive to the security and safety of traffic in the region,”
— U.S. Central Command (@CENTCOM) July 5, 2023
- General Michael “Erik” Kurilla, Commander of U.S. Central Command. https://t.co/vqPNf9itg4 pic.twitter.com/vsmyc2Q3cy
“I couldn’t be prouder of the entire [U.S. Naval Forces Central Command] team, especially the exceptional effort by the McFaul crew, for immediately responding and preventing another seizure,” said Vice Admiral Brad Cooper, commander of U.S. Naval Forces Central Command, U.S. 5th Fleet and Combined Maritime Forces. “We remain vigilant and ready to protect navigational rights in these critical waters.”
Tehran and Washington have had frequent altercations in the vicinity of the Gulf ever since the US tightened sanctions against Iran’s economy, particularly its oil exports.
In May, Iran said that it was closely monitoring the Persian Gulf after the US announced it would bolster its presence in the area by upscaling the rotation of ships and aircraft patrolling the vital Strait of Hormuz corridor to deter Iran.
“Since 2021, Iran has harassed, attacked or seized nearly 20 internationally flagged merchant vessels, presenting a clear threat to regional maritime security and the global economy,” Washington said.
Iran has repeatedly demanded the US to withdraw its forces from the region.
Last month, US and UK navies thwarted numerous Iranian fast-attack boats in the Strait of Hormuz who were harassing a merchant vessel, assessing that the vessels belonged to Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).
In January 2022, the US seized a “stateless” vessel transiting from Iran in the Gulf of Oman carrying explosive materials. The ship was stopped among a route infamously used to smuggle weapons to the Houthi rebels in Yemen.
In December, Iran’s navy briefly seized two US navy drone vessels in the Red Sea before releasing them the following day.
American and Iranian warships in the Persian Gulf had a tense encounter in April 2021, when an Iranian ship cut in front of the American ship, causing the vessel to stop abruptly.
