US Central Command (CENTCOM) has warned Iran’s Revolutionary Guard (IRGC) not to make any “unsafe” behavior near American forces in the Strait of Hormuz.
Iran is conducting a two-day live-fire naval exercise in the Strait scheduled to begin on Sunday.
“CENTCOM urges the IRGC to conduct the announced naval exercise in a manner that is safe, professional and avoids unnecessary risk to freedom of navigation for international maritime traffic,” it said in a statement on Friday.
“The Strait of Hormuz is an international sea passage and an essential trade corridor that supports regional economic prosperity. On any given day, roughly 100 of the world’s merchant vessels transit the narrow strait,” it said.
While acknowledging Iran’s right to operate professionally in international airspace and waters, it said that “any unsafe and unprofessional behavior near US forces, regional partners or commercial vessels increases risks of collision, escalation, and destabilization.”
CENTCOM also stressed that it “will not tolerate unsafe IRGC actions including overflight of US military vessels engaged in flight operations, low-altitude or armed overflight of US military assets when intentions are unclear, highspeed boat approaches on a collision course with US military vessels, or weapons trained at US forces.”
