EXCLUSIVE: U.S. harassed by Iranian boats
By Barbara Starr
Click here to see video of Iranian boats harassing the USS New Orleans and Coast Guard cutter Adak
At a time of heightened tensions with Iran, U.S. military officials told CNN Friday that U.S. military and Coast Guard ships had two close encounters earlier this month with high-speed Iranian boats in the Strait of Hormuz and Persian Gulf that exhibited provocative behavior.
The incidents occurred January 6, according to a senior U.S. military official.
The USS New Orleans, an amphibious transport ship was sailing through the Strait of Hormuz into the Persian Gulf last Friday when three Iranian Navy speed boats rapidly approached within 500 yards of the ship, the official said. The Iranians did not respond to whistle signals or voice queries from the New Orleans. The lack of response disregards standard maritime protocols, the official said. The boats eventually broke away.
On the same day, the U.S. Coast Guard cutter Adak was also harassed by high-speed Iranian Navy boats while operating 75 miles east of Kuwait City. Iranian personnel in the small boats appeared to be holding AK-47 rifles and at least one video camera, the official said. U.S. personnel on the cutter also reported seeing a forward gun that was manned on one of the Iranian boats, according to the official. Eventually, communications with a larger Iranian vessel in the area were established and the speed boats stopped their harassment.
No shots were fired in either incident, both of which were videotaped. The Pentagon may release that footage later Friday.
While the U.S. Navy has had routine encounters with Iranian naval forces for years, the Navy has reported seeing more aggressive action in recent weeks from Iranian-flagged vessels. Officials believe such aggressive action carries the potential for miscalculation. Typically, Iranian small boats are operated by forces of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps force and are considered to be more aggressive than regular Iranian forces.
Word of the aggressive encounters by Iran comes as the United States has conducted two recent rescues of Iranian mariners at sea at a time of rising tensions in the region.
Iran has threatened to close the Strait of Hormuz, the only outlet from the Persian Gulf, as it faces increased scrutiny over its nuclear program. The critical shipping lane had 17 million barrels of oil per day passing through in 2011, according to the U.S. Energy Information Agency.
Iran threatened to block the strait if sanctions are imposed on its oil exports. France, Britain and Germany have proposed sanctions to punish Iran's lack of cooperation on its nuclear program.
@natlsecuritycnn on Twitter
hydroxychloroquinine https://www.pharmaceptica.com/
cialis and cocaine cheapest cialis india cialis dapoxetine australia
viagra levitra cialis offers cialis black 800mg cialish
cialis kopen cialis dosage recommend cheap original cialis
hydroxychloroquine 200mg buy chloroquine phosphate tablets hydroxyquine side effects
good rx pharmacy discount card canadian pharmacy discount code androgel canada pharmacy
foreign online pharmacy canadian discount pharmacy offshore pharmacy no prescription
pharmacy rx solutions pharmacy rx 1 best canadian online pharmacy 2016
buying online pharmacy pharmacy discount card rx relief subutex online pharmacy
pharmacy school online rx smith pharmacy universal drugs canada
cialis wikipedia walmart cialis price geniric cialis
how can i get cialis over the counter special sales on cialis cialis with dapoxetine from canada
cialis price at walgreens original cialis product dapoxetine cialisfree pills
generic cialisis maximum cialis dose cialis stop to find a bathroom
canadian pharmacies online how to report someone abusing prescription drugs canadian pharmacies for dogs
cialis uk online reviews of cialis cialis soft tabs 20mg
shopping cialis original cialis pills cialis with daxopretine
cialis generico can i take viagra with cialis can i buy cialis in canada
cialis 25mg canada cialis forsale cialis no perscription
cialis with out prescription cialis 200 mg what is it buy cialis online free shipping
brandcialis orignal cialis buy cialis with no persciption
Cefixime cvs pharmacy refill online canada prescription drugs
onlinepharmaciescanada com drug store pharmacy near me Co-Amoxiclav
canada pharmacy online orders Malegra DXT all in one pharmacy
mexican pharmacy online medications Viagra Professional canadian valley pharmacy
rx express compounding pharmacy pharmacy tech courses online antibiotics
take cialis the correct way selling cialis in us cialis pills overnight
cialis sizes max dose cialis what makes you harder viagra or cialis
free shipping for cialis from india cialis vs.levitra tadalafil vs cialis
online pharmacy china oxfordhealth online pharmacy why are drugs cheaper in canada
how many 5mg cialis can i take at once cialis with dapoxetine overnight delivery australia order cialis no prescription
sample cialis dapoxetine and generic cialis does cialis lowers blood pressure
cialis without prescription https://cialisjla.com/ – is cialis as effective as viagra cialis 20mg
cialis 100mg review https://cialishav.com/ – buy cialis in toronto cialis for bodybuilding
canadian pharmacy cialis brand https://cialishav.com/ – cialis heart rate can you buy cialis without a prescription
indian pharmacy online pharmacy in turkey canadian-pharmacy-24h.com
online pharmacy viagra generic canadian pharmacy zephyrhills cost of prescription drugs
paypal cialis no prescription https://ckacialis.com/ – \'generic cialis\' buy generic cialis paypal
36 hour cialis price https://cialisjla.com/ – best price cialis 20mg cialis 20 mg from canada
global pharmacy of canada prescription drugs stats Lotrisone
cialis peru https://rcialisgl.com/ – viagra vs cialis price generic cialis 7days
canadian pharmacy viagra 50 mg https://pharmacyken.com/ – canadian family pharmacy online compound pharmacy online
Fluoxetine https://pharmacyken.com/ – best us online pharmacy canadianpharmacyworld
cheapest pharmacy prescription drugs online canadian pharcharmy drugs from canada reviews
cialis tips https://krocialis.com/ – cialis used for is cialis the same as viagra
how to buy cialis us https://ckacialis.com/ – best online to buy cialis paypal cialis payment
how to get cialis without a prescription https://rcialisgl.com/ – cialis online with no prescription cialis stop to find a bathroom
avanafil vs cialis avana canada
female viagra name http://jokviagra.com/ recreational viagra
cialis black in australia http://rcialisgl.com/ generic cialis cost
no rx pharmacy https://pharmacylo.com/ maple leaf pharmacy in canada
cialis lilly http://ucialisdas.com/ cialis on line pharm
cialis dosage recommend http://ucialisdas.com/ cialis dapoxetine australia
what is a typical viagra dosage https://llviagra.com/ how long does it take for viagra to expire
viagra 100 picture https://llviagra.com/ – viagra revenue viagra argentina venta libre
viagra prank http://loxviagra.com/ cocaine and viagra
200mg viagra https://jokviagra.com/ recreational viagra
shopping cialis https://rcialisgl.com/ insurance that covers cialis
Aygestin best drugstore bronzer Diamox
https://chloroquineorigin.com/ chloroquine phosphate generic name arechin buy chloroquine phosphate tablets buy chloroquine online
viagra in stores http://loxviagra.com/ – viagra para mujeres how do you spell viagra
Apcalis SX http://xlnpharmacy.com/ low cost online pharmacy