White House: Iranian provocation at sea 'not acceptable'
After two incidents of Iranian naval provocation, the US issues a statement saying that Iran's actions are 'not clear,' but that they nevertheless 'have the potential to unnecessarily escalate tensions.'
"At this point, it's not clear what the intentions of the Iranian ships were, but the behavior is not acceptable, given that this US ship was in international waters," White House spokesman Josh Earnest said at a news briefing. "These types of actions and incidents are concerning and they have the potential to unnecessarily escalate tensions."
On Wednesday, four vessels for Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) “harassed” the US aircraft carrier Nitze, stationed in the the Persian Gulf. As a result, several warning shots were fired. On Thursday, the US navy vessel fired three more warning shots after several vessels for the IRGC came within arm’s length of the American ship. The incidents are the latest in a line of provocations that have been taking place in the Persian Gulf since December.
Last January, Iran successfully launched an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) that managed to photograph the US naval vessel. An Iranian submarine that stayed at a very short distance from the aircraft carrier also took part in the clandestine Iranian operation.
The US Naval Forces Central Command also issued a statement, describing the Iranian provocation as a clear violation of international law, as well as being reckless and highly unprofessional.
