Thursday 25 / April / 2024
Beirut: The US military presence in the Gulf poses the main risk of conflict in the region, an Iranian military official said on Tuesday after Washington said an Iranian vessel had pointed its weapon at a US helicopter in the Gulf waters.
Two US defence officials told Reuters on Monday that a small vessel operated by Iran's Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) trained its weapon on a Navy MH-60 helicopter on Saturday as it flew within half a mile (0.8 km) of two Iranian vessels in international waters.
The defence officials called Iran's behaviour "provocative".
"The behavior by our standards is provocative and could be seen as an escalation," the US officials said. At no point did the crew of the helicopter feel threatened, they added.
"Everybody knows that the main problem in the Gulf is the US presence," an unidentified official in the Revolutionary Guards was quoted as saying by Tasnim news agency.
The official said all international vessels were plying the Gulf waters with no difficulty and it was only the Americans who complained by making false cases against Iran.
He further called the US behaviour "improper and unprofessional", but did not address the allegation that the IRGC vessel aimed its guns at the helicopter.
Several similar incidents have occurred this year. In September, a US Navy coastal patrol ship changed course after an Iranian fast-attack craft came within 90 metres (295 feet of it.
During his presidential election campaign, Republican Donald Trump vowed that any Iranian vessel that harassed the US Navy in the Gulf would be "shot out of the water" if he were elected.
"When they circle our beautiful destroyers with their little boats and they make gestures at our people that they shouldn't be allowed to make, they will be shot out of the water," Trump said at the time.
Trump is due to take office on January 20.
