Washington Claims Iran Fired Rockets near US Aircraft Carrier

Washington Claims Iran Fired Rockets near US Aircraft Carrier
Thu Dec 31, 2015 10:15:51

United States officials claim that Iran has fired several rockets near an American aircraft carrier in the Strait of Hormuz in the Persian Gulf.

Unnamed US military officials claimed that the rockets were fired from vessels belonging to the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) during a military exercise on December 26.

They said the rockets were fired some 1,500 yards from the US aircraft carrier USS Harry S. Truman and two accompanying warships.

The US officials, however, said that “the rockets were not fired at the Truman and other ships, only near them.”

US military spokesman Kyle Raines said Tuesday that the rockets were fired “in close proximity” of the US warship and nearby merchant traffic “after providing only 23 minutes of advance notification.”

Raine described the alleged incident as “highly provocative”, claiming that incident “runs contrary to efforts to ensure freedom of navigation and maritime safety in the global commons.”

The aircraft carrier reportedly entered the Persian Gulf last month to support US military operations in Iraq and Syria.

Iranian officials have so far made no comment on the incident; IRNA reported.

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