Iran's navy says it forced a US submarine to surface as it entered the Persian Gulf, according to a declaration by Iranian navy commander Shahram Irani to state television on Thursday. Further he claimed that the sub violated Iran's territorial waters.
"The U.S. submarine was approaching while submerged, but the Iranian submarine Fateh detected it and carried out... maneuvers to force it to surface as it went through the Strait (of Hormuz). It had also entered into our territorial waters but... it corrected its course after being warned," Irani said.
 |
| Via Reuters |
"This submarine was doing its best, using all its capacities, to pass in total silence and without being detected," Irani described. "We will certainly reflect to international bodies the fact that it had violated our border."
It's yet the latest after a series of confrontations between the US and Iranians in Gulf waters, after a series of incidents involving the IRGC intercepting and briefly detaining large, high-tech maritime drones operated by the US Navy.
While it's known that the nuclear-powered, guided-missile submarine USS Florida is currently in Middle East regional waters, the Bahrain-based Fifth Fleet rejected the Iranian claims to have forced a US sub to surface as "disinformation".
"A U.S. submarine has not transited the Strait of Hormuz today or recently," Commander Timothy Hawkins said in a statement to Reuters.
As for the USS Florida now patrolling regional waters, the US Navy acknowledged that it passed through the Suez Canal in early April, with the 5th Fleet previously describing that "It is capable of carrying up to 154 Tomahawk land-attack cruise missiles and is deployed to U.S. 5th Fleet to help ensure regional maritime security and stability."
(Article by Tyler Durden republished from Zerohedge.com)
