Iranian naval vessel.
US Navy courtesy photo
Iranian naval ships tried to seize two oil tankers crossing Middle Eastern waters on Wednesday.
The US Navy said in one incident, Iranian personnel opened fire on one of the commercial ships.
It marks the latest Iranian military provocation against internationally flagged vessels.
Iranian naval ships tried to capture two commercial oil tankers in Middle Eastern waters on Wednesday and even opened fire at one of the ships, the US Navy said, in the latest provocation by Tehran’s forces in the region.
The TRF Moss, a Marshall Islands-flagged tanker, was transiting international waters in the Gulf of Oman at 1 a.m. local time when it was approached by a single Iranian ship, US Naval Forces Central Command (NAVCENT) said in a statement. The Iranian ship left the area after the US Navy dispatched the guided-missile destroyer USS McFaul, as well as a MQ-9 Reaper drone and P-8 Poseidon patrol aircraft for additional surveillance.
But just three hours later, the US Navy received a distress call from a different tanker, the Bahamian-flagged Richmond Voyager, which had been sailing through international waters off the coast of Oman and toward the Arabian Sea when it was approached by another Iranian vessel.
The Iranian vessel tried to get the Richmond Voyager to stop, and reached within a mile of the tanker. The US Navy said Iranian personnel then “fired multiple, long bursts from both small arms and crew-served weapons” at the tanker, with several rounds hitting the hull. Once again, the Iranian ship left the area when the McFaul arrived on scene.
Unclassified US Navy drone footage shows the Iranian ship open fire at the Richmond Voyager, with some rounds ricocheting, shown in the video as small flashes above the tanker.
The tanker did not suffer significant damage and there were no casualties aboard, although the rounds struck in close proximity to where the crew lives. US Navy photos show a small hole in the ship’s exterior that was caused by the Iranian gunfire, as well as fragments of ammunition casings that were collected.
“I couldn’t be prouder of the entire [NAVCENT] team, especially the exceptional effort by the McFaul crew, for immediately responding and preventing another seizure,” said Vice Adm. Brad Cooper, commander of NAVCENT, US 5th Fleet, and Combined Maritime Forces. “We remain vigilant and ready to protect navigational rights in these critical waters.”
Image of damage sustained by M/T Richmond Voyager after personnel from an Iranian naval vessel fired multiple long bursts of rounds from small arms and crew-served weapons during an attempt to unlawfully seize the commercial tanker in the Gulf of Oman, July 5, 2023.
US Navy courtesy photo
Image of damage sustained by M/T Richmond Voyager after personnel from an Iranian naval vessel fired multiple long bursts of rounds from small arms and crew-served weapons during an attempt to unlawfully seize the commercial tanker in the Gulf of Oman, July 5, 2023.
US Navy courtesy photo
Evidence collected aboard M/T Richmond Voyager of ammunition casings after personnel from an Iranian naval vessel fired multiple long bursts of rounds from small arms and crew-served weapons during an attempt to unlawfully seize the commercial tanker in the Gulf of Oman, July 5, 2023.
US Navy courtesy photo
Wednesday’s incident is the latest Iranian military provocation against internationally flagged vessels crossing through the area. Tehran’s forces have attacked, seized, or harassed nearly 20 such ships since 2021, the US Navy said, which highlights a “clear threat to regional maritime security and the global economy.”
Following a string of recent incidents involving Iran’s maritime forces, the US Navy in mid-May said it planned to work with allies to increase the presence of ships and aircraft patrolling the strategic Strait of Hormuz, a narrow channel of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran where some of these attacks have taken place.
“Iran’s unwarranted, irresponsible and unlawful seizure and harassment of merchant vessels must stop,” Cooper said at the time. The US “and our partners are committed to protecting navigational rights in these critical waters.”
Tensions between the US and Iran have been especially high throughout the Biden administration, with Washington accusing Iran on several occasions of jeopardizing regional stability across the Middle East.
This year alone, the US and its partners have raided several boats attempting to smuggle weapons from Iran to a proxy war in Yemen, which experts say are designed to apply pressure on Tehran and curb its regional influence. Meanwhile, US forces operating in Syria have been caught engaging in deadly firefights with Iran-backed militias. The uptick in violence has led the US Air Force to deploy heavily armed A-10 Thunderbolt II attack aircraft to the region.