Iran Press/ Middle East: Expeditionary sea base USS Lewis B. Puller (ESB 3) and guided-missile destroyer USS The Sullivans (DDG-68) were sailing into the Persian Gulf when a speedboat-sized Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps Navy fast inshore attack craft intercepted them.
“The Iranian vessel attempted to blind the bridge by shining a spotlight and crossed within 150 yards of the U.S. ships – dangerously close, particularly at night,”
According to the statement from CENTCOM.“The U.S. ships safely de-escalated the situation through the use of audible warnings and non-lethal lasers.
U.S. Navy ships continued their transit without further incident.
In the statement, the command accused the IRGCN of violating “international standards of professional and safe maritime behavior, increasing the risk of miscalculation and collision.”
CENTCOM did not release any photos or video of the incident that occurred in “pitch black,” according to a spokesperson.
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