IRGC Admits to 9 Deaths during Clashes with US Navy

IRGC speedboats and helicopters during military training (Tasnim)
IRGC speedboats and helicopters during military training (Tasnim)
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IRGC Admits to 9 Deaths during Clashes with US Navy

IRGC speedboats and helicopters during military training (Tasnim)
IRGC speedboats and helicopters during military training (Tasnim)

The Commander of Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps Navy, Rear Admiral Alireza Tangsiri, announced that nine sailors have died in direct clashes with the US Navy in the Persian Gulf, without further details.

Tangsiri said that his forces had dealt nine unforgettable blows to the US avenging the death of his troops, which made Washington realize “the sovereignty of the Iranian Republic in the maritime arena.”

Speaking at a gathering of Basij students at the former US embassy compound in Tehran, the Rear Admiral indicated that Iranian youth should know “the importance of the Persian Gulf and the fact that our country is of great geographical significance,” he said.

Tangsiri added that many of the incidents had not been reported by the media, noting that the seizure of the Vietnamese oil tanker last month is one of those slaps.

Iran’s national army navy and the IRGC naval forces share the tasks of protecting Iranian waters in the south.

The Persian Gulf and the Strait of Hormuz are the IRGC area, while the navy is active in the Gulf of Oman and the northern Indian Ocean.

Tensions in the waters have been exacerbated since former US President Donald Trump decided to tighten oil sanctions on Iran in May 2019, a year after withdrawing from the nuclear agreement.

A drone raided a Japanese oil tanker operated by an Israeli businessman, killing a Briton and a Romanian last month. The United States, Britain, and Israel held Iran directly responsible for the incident.

The US and Iran gave contradictory accounts about the seizure of the tanker in the Sea of ​​Oman, which occurred on October 24.

The IRGC announced that its forces had foiled a US attempt to seize an oil tanker loaded with Iranian oil, adding that its navy landed on the deck and diverted it into Iranian waters.

The US forces attempted to pursue the tanker with helicopters and warships but failed to catch it.

The Pentagon denied the Iranian claims, saying they are false and untrue.

On November 10, the Revolutionary Guard released the Vietnamese oil tanker less than a week after it announced the details of the accident. Vietnam had confirmed communication with Iran to release the tanker.

Days after, IRGC published a video showing Iranian commandos boarding a helicopter and landing on a tanker with machine guns pointed at the crew. Several speedboats circled the tanker, and a voice in English warned a US ship to leave the area.

US Defense Department spokesman John Kerry said the helicopter flew 25 yards away and circled the tanker three times.

The New York Times reported a US official saying that Washington did not publicize the event because of current diplomatic sensitivities with Iran, in reference to attempts to bring Iran back to the negotiating table.

Iran revealed the details of the incident hours after it announced its return to the negotiating table to revive the nuclear agreement in Vienna at the end of November.



‘Bad Day:’ Trump Reflects on Assassination Bid One Year Later

Republican candidate Donald Trump is seen with blood on his face surrounded by secret service agents as he is taken off the stage at a campaign event at Butler Farm Show Inc. in Butler, Pennsylvania, July 13, 2024. (AFP)
Republican candidate Donald Trump is seen with blood on his face surrounded by secret service agents as he is taken off the stage at a campaign event at Butler Farm Show Inc. in Butler, Pennsylvania, July 13, 2024. (AFP)
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‘Bad Day:’ Trump Reflects on Assassination Bid One Year Later

Republican candidate Donald Trump is seen with blood on his face surrounded by secret service agents as he is taken off the stage at a campaign event at Butler Farm Show Inc. in Butler, Pennsylvania, July 13, 2024. (AFP)
Republican candidate Donald Trump is seen with blood on his face surrounded by secret service agents as he is taken off the stage at a campaign event at Butler Farm Show Inc. in Butler, Pennsylvania, July 13, 2024. (AFP)

US President Donald Trump says "mistakes were made" but he's satisfied with the investigation into his near-assassination a year ago, as the Secret Service announced disciplinary actions Thursday against six staff members.

In excerpts of an interview on Fox News' "My View with Lara Trump" show, airing Saturday, Trump, 79, said the elite close-protection service "had a bad day."

"There were mistakes made. And that shouldn't have happened," Trump said in the interview conducted by his daughter-in-law Lara Trump, who has her own show on the Trump-friendly news channel.

The Republican -- whose ear was nicked by a bullet while he addressed an election rally in Butler, Pennsylvania -- noted that the would-be assassin had access to a "prime building" overlooking the rally.

One bystander was killed and two other people in addition to Trump were wounded before a counter-sniper killed the gunman -- 20-year-old Thomas Crooks.

The sniper "was able to get him from a long distance with one shot. If he didn't do that, you would have had an even worse situation," Trump said. "His name is David and he did a fantastic job."

Speaking of the post-incident investigation and "the larger plot," Trump said "I'm satisfied with it."

"It was unforgettable," he said, recalling the drama. "I didn't know exactly what was going on. I got whacked. There's no question about that. And fortunately, I got down quickly. People were screaming."

The Secret Service said in a statement that the July 13, 2024, attack was "nothing short of a tragedy" and "an operational failure that the Secret Service will carry as a reminder of the critical importance of its zero-fail mission."

The agency cited communication, technical and human errors and said reforms were underway, including on coordination between different law enforcement bodies and establishment of a division dedicated to aerial surveillance.

Six unidentified staff have been disciplined, the Secret Service said. The punishments range from 10 to 42 days suspension without pay and all six were put into restricted or non-operational positions.

Among measures beefing up security, is an expansion of the fleet of armored golf carts to carry the president. Trump spends frequent weekends at his golf courses and in September last year was allegedly the target of a failed assassination plot while playing in Florida.

"The agency has taken many steps to ensure such an event can never be repeated in the future," Secret Service Director Sean Curran said in a statement.