Iranian Boats Fire Laser Beams at US Helicopter in Persian Gulf
Introduction
The US Fifth Fleet said Iranian boats fired laser beams at a US helicopter as it flew through Persian Gulf airspace.
Statement by US Naval Forces Central Command
In a statement, US Naval Forces Central Command, Fifth Fleet, said: “Iranian boats fired laser beams at a US helicopter while it was flying in Persian Gulf airspace.”
Twitter Announcement
The IRGCN patrol vessel acted unsafely and unprofessionally when it directed a laser beam at @26MEU Hi, I flew to the Persian Gulf last night. There were no injuries or equipment damaged. US troops will continue to operate wherever permitted by law.
More details ⬇https://t.co/f3YeKOBSRH
— US Naval Forces Central Command/US 5th Fleet (@US5thFleet) September 28, 2023
Response from US Naval Forces Central Command
He added: “This behavior of the Iranian Navy is not the behavior of a professional navy, and we will continue to fly and sail as permitted by international law while strengthening regional maritime security.”
Previous Incident
On August 18 last year, Iran’s deputy commander of air defense operations, Amir Reza Haj, said that army radars detected F-35 aircraft over Persian Gulf waters last week.
He added: “It was fully tracked by our radars from the moment it took off. All radars in the south of the country immediately tracked these aircraft.”
Recent Deployment
The announcements come days after the US Fifth Fleet announced the arrival of more than 3,000 US troops in the Red Sea aboard two warships.
Source
Source: RT+agencies