The U.S. Navy kept Iran from seizing an unmanned surface vessel in the Persian Gulf overnight, in what officials are calling a “flagrant” and “unwarranted” attempt to steal U.S. government property.
According to U.S. Naval Forces Central Command, sailors from the Fifth Fleet noticed a ship operated by Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps towing a Saildrone Explorer - an unmanned vessel used primarily for data collection - late Monday night. The USS Thunderbolt - a patrol ship that was in the area - as well as a Sea Hawk helicopter based in Bahrain responded to the incident, the military said.
Eventually, the Iranian ship - a support vessel named the Shahid Baziar - disconnected its tow line and left the area, the U.S. military said.
The close encounter comes amid heightening tensions between the United States and Iran, as the two countries attempt to negotiate a deal to replace the 2015 nuclear pact to restrain Tehran’s nuclear ambitions, which the Trump administration abandoned. It also comes on the heels of U.S. strikes against groups affiliated with the IRGC in Syria in response to attacks those militias carried out on U.S. targets.
“This incident once again demonstrates Iran’s continued destabilizing, illegal, and unprofessional activity in the Middle East,” Army Gen. Michael Erik Kurilla, who leads U.S. Central Command, said in a statement.
Since taking over CENTCOM in April, Kurilla has advocated a more stringent approach to Iran, to deter Tehran from intimidating and attacking U.S. forces and assets, according to an official who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss internal matters. Following last week’s strikes on Iran-affiliated groups in Syria, the Pentagon spokesman said he hoped “that these groups would have received the message loud and clear, and that we will not see similar behavior in the future.”
Monday night’s incident in the Persian Gulf was carried out by Iran’s own naval forces, whom U.S. officials have previously accused of “unsafe and unprofessional” conduct at sea. Earlier this summer, CENTCOM officials excoriated Iran for buzzing two U.S. ships in the Persian Gulf at close range and “dangerously high speed.”
The U.S. military has accused Iran of taking similarly dangerous actions in recent years, including incidents in which 11 ships zipped around U.S. vessels, and another in which Iranian fast-attack craft had to be repelled with warning shots, according to reports.
The unmanned vessel that Iran is accused of targeting Monday night contains sensors, radars, cameras and other data collection equipment, according to the military and materials published by the manufacturer. The Saildrone Explorer “does not store sensitive or classified information,” according to military officials, who warned that the incident was nonetheless a serious provocation.
“IRGCN’s actions were flagrant, unwarranted and inconsistent with the behavior of a professional maritime force,” Vice Adm. Brad Cooper, the commander of U.S. Naval Forces Central Command, said in a statement. “U.S. naval forces remain vigilant and will continue to fly, sail and operate anywhere international law allows while promoting rules-based international order throughout the region.”