When did the US and Iran become enemies?
3:39
(CNN) -
The Iranian Navy once again harassed US ships operating in the Persian Gulf, this time coming within just 60 meters of the ships on Monday night, according to Commander Rebecca Rebarich, a spokeswoman for the Fifth Fleet of the US Navy
This caused one of the US ships to fire warning shots, he added.
Three fast Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Navy coastal attack craft approached within 68 yards (about 60 meters) of the USS Firebolt, a Navy coastal patrol boat, and the Baranoff Coast Guard, Rebarich said in a statement.
Iranian ships continued to operate close to American ships despite repeated bridge-to-bridge warnings and the use of public address systems.
In response, the Firebolt fired warning shots, Rebarich said, at which point the Iranian ships fell back to a safe distance.
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"Throughout the interaction, US forces proactively communicated with Revolutionary Guard vessels and executed pre-planned responses to reduce the risk of miscalculations, avoid a collision, and de-escalate the situation," Rebarich said.
The incident represents the second time this month that ships of the Revolutionary Guard Navy have harassed US ships in the Persian Gulf.
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The Harth 55, of the Iranian Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Navy (left), carried out an unsafe and unprofessional action while crossing the bow of the Coast Guard patrol boat USCGC Monomoy (right) while the US vessel was conducting a routine maritime security patrol in international waters off the southern Persian Gulf on April 2, 2021.
On April 2, four Revolutionary Guard ships, including three rapid attack craft and one support vessel, approached 64 meters, or less than a soccer field, from two coastguards.
"The Harth 55 aggressively approached the bow of the Wrangell, causing the Wrangell to maneuver to avoid the collision while honking the ship's horn five times," Rebarich said of the April 2 incident.
Rebarich said the Iranian actions on April 2 "were considered unsafe and unprofessional," increasing the risk of a collision.
Furthermore, the actions of the Iranian ships ignored internationally recognized maritime customs and international regulations to prevent collisions at sea.
The Coast Guard ships are part of the Southwest Asian Patrol Forces, the largest Coast Guard unit outside the United States.
The Wrangell and Monomoy are 110-foot shallow draft coastguards capable of operating in the waters of the Persian Gulf.
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The news of Iran's actions comes as that country, the US and other world powers continue talks on the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), the nuclear deal signed in 2015. US and Iranian officials said last week that there has been progress in the talks on the reinstatement of the nuclear agreement.
It also follows the leaked audio of Iranian Foreign Minister Javad Zarif, in which he criticizes the Revolutionary Guard and high-ranking General Qasem Soleimani, killed in an attack.
In the three-hour interview recorded as part of a research project by Iranian journalist and economist Saeed Laylaz, Zarif said that Soleimani was directing foreign policy and attempting to sabotage the JCPOA and that Iranian diplomacy had been undermined and overshadowed by the actions of the military.
especially in Syria, where the Revolutionary Guard helped President Bashar al-Assad crush a rebellion against his government.
CNN's Mostafa Salem, Ramin Mostaghim, Paul LeBlanc, and Chandelis Duster contributed to this report.
Persian Gulf Revolutionary Guard of Iran