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U.S., Iranian military vessels have near miss in Persian Gulf

Three fast-attack craft belonging to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps came within 50 yards of the USS Sirocco and the USNS Choctaw County, officials said

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June 20, 2022 at 4:40 p.m. EDT
The USS Sirocco, seen during a patrol in the Gulf of Oman, had a close brush with Iranian vessels in the Persian Gulf on June 20. (U.S. Naval Forces Central Command)
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The United States and Iran had their latest near miss Monday, after three vessels controlled by Tehran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps buzzed two American ships at what the U.S. military called “dangerously high speed.”

The USS Sirocco, a Cyclone-class patrol ship, and the USNS Choctaw County, a fast transport vessel, were in routine transit through international waters in the Persian Gulf when three Iranian boats designed for fast attack approached the Sirocco head on, according to a U.S. military official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to describe the encounter. They diverted only after the Sirocco issued an audible warning signal. The Iranian boats also came within 50 yards of the Choctaw County, prompting the Sirocco to deploy a warning flare.