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Iranian troops fire rockets near United States warships
Iranian naval vessels conducted rocket tests last week near United States warships and commercial traffic passing through the Strait of Hormuz, the American military said on Wednesday, causing new tension between the two nations after a landmark nuclear deal.
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Some U.S. critics of the deal have said the Iran cannot be trusted to comply – however proponents of the deal say Iran’s actions can be verified and that progress seems to be on track.
The latest challenge was a missile launch over the weekend less than a mile from a USA aircraft carrier – which came on the heels of two other similar incidents, two ballistic missile tests, and the harsh treatment of American prisoners including a Washington Post journalist.
The Iranian Emad – a liquid-fuel, intermediate-range ballistic missile.
“The rockets were not fired at the Truman and other ships, only near them”, the network said.
The Strait of Hormuz is one of the world’s most strategically important passageways, in particular for the global oil supply chain, connecting the Persian Gulf to the open sea.
Though the rockets were not fired toward any warship, their proximity to the vessels – and several commercial ships – was “highly provocative”, said the official, who was not authorised to be named. The aircraft carrier reportedly was being escorted by a USA destroyer and a French frigate.
After 23 minutes, the Iranian boats fired “several unguided rockets” about 1,370 meters (1,500 yards) from the warships and commercial traffic, he said.
The Strait of Hormuz is only about 33 kilometres wide at its narrowest point between Iran and Oman. It was the third such provocation in the past 14 months, a spokesman for the Navy’s 5 Fleet, responsible for operations in the Persian Gulf, told Fox News.
“It’s unlikely given the levels of tension involved between the conservatives and the more moderate factions in Iran, that this is the sort of thing that the Supreme Leader [Ayatollah Ali Khamenei] would endorse”, he said.
The Iranians announced a previously unannounced live-fire exercise over maritime radio and requested nearby vessels to remain clear, Hawkins added.
Iran has also aired footage on state television of an underground missile base, and in February sank a replica of a US aircraft carrier near the strait.
“It is a very uncertain time, and it’s further unlikely that the revolutionary guards are not going to find ways to assert hard-line positions and occasionally protest the USA”, he said.
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The carrier joined the anti-ISIS coalition on Tuesday with the launch of its first mission, the U.S. Navy said.