Five Iranian Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps gunboats tried to seize a British oil tanker in the Persian Gulf Wednesday but backed off after a British warship approached, a senior U.S. defense official told Fox News.
Iran is steadily provoking not just the United States but Britain as well in their latest attempt to cause a military confrontation. Five Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps fast attack boats thought the British oil tanker would be easy pickings. Right up to the moment that is that a British warship backed up by the United States verbally told them to leave the area. Those words of warning were backed up by guns point at the Iranians
from a UK Royal Navy frigate.
US Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Joseph Dunford said Tuesday that the US and its allies were
working to put together a coalition of countries to come up with a system to enforce freedom of navigation in the region amid what the US says are heightened threats from Iran.
Iranian Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps boats tried, failed to seize British oil tanker in Persian Gulf, senior US defense official says
FROM FOX NEWS: The British warship was said to have been less than 5 miles behind the tanker but soon intercepted the Iranian boats and threatened to open fire. A manned U.S. reconnaissance aircraft was above as well, the official said, adding that Iranian forces left without opening fire.
Navy Captain Bill Urban, spokesman for the U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM), said the military was aware of the reported actions. He added, “Threats to international freedom of navigation require an international solution. The world economy depends on the free flow of commerce, and it is incumbent on all nations to protect and preserve this lynchpin of global prosperity.”
The incident was the latest in a series of provocations between the Islamic Republic and the West. British forces last week seized an Iranian supertanker that officials believed was operating in violation of European Union sanctions. The British Royal Marines captured the vessel in Gibraltar after believing it was trying to provide crude oil to Syria, an ally of Iran.
Iranian President Hassan Rouhani warned that Britain would face repercussions over the seizure. Last month, Iran shot down a U.S. drone over the Strait of Hormuz, a vital waterway separating Iran from the United Arab Emirates.
U.S. officials also blamed Iran for attacks on six oil tankers in the area. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has accused the regime of trying to disrupt the flow of oil through the strait.
Tensions between Iran and the U.S. have escalated in recent weeks and could spiral downward after Iran admitted Monday it surpassed uranium enrichment levels that were set by the Iran nuclear agreement in 2015.
President Trump pulled the U.S. out of the deal but several EU nations remained involved. Trump has indicated he will impose additional sanctions on Iran.
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Iran Tries And Fails To Seize British Ship
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