The Iranian will maintain regular missions in the Arabian Gulf, the ISNA news agency reported on Wednesday, a day after the United States warned mariners there to stay away from US warships.
“The naval units of the Islamic Republic of Iran in the Arabian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman will continue their regular missions in accordance with professional principles as in the past,” INSA quoted an unnamed military official as saying.
The US warning to mariners followed US President Donald Trump’s threat last month to fire on any Iranian ships that harass US Navy vessels.
The Bahrain-based US Naval Forces Central Command said in a statement its notice was “designed to enhance safety, minimize ambiguity and reduce the risk of miscalculation”.
It follows an incident last month in which 11 Iranian vessels came close to US Navy and Coast Guard ships in the Arabian Gulf in what the US military called “dangerous and provocative” behavior.
Friction between Tehran and Washington has increased since 2018, when Trump quit Iran’s 2015 nuclear deal with six powers and reimposed sanctions on the country that have crippled its economy.
Also Read
-
Eying Iran, US navy issues warning to stay 100 meters away from its warships
The US Navy on Tuesday issued a warning to mariners to stay 100 meters (yards) away from US warships or risk being “interpreted as a threat and ... Middle East -
Iran’s response will be ‘serious’ if US disrupts oil shipments to Venezuela: FM
The US will receive a “serious response” from Iran if it takes any measures against an Iranian fuel shipment to Venezuela, Foreign Ministry Spokesman ... Middle East -
Iran’s Zarif warns US against disrupting oil shipments to Venezuela
Iran’s Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif has warned the US against disrupting its fuel shipments to Venezuela in a letter to UN Secretary-General ... Middle East
