IRGC Forces US Helicopter Carrier to Ground Choppers in Strait of Hormuz

Sunday, 20 August 2023 3:53 PM 

The photo shows a speedboat of Iran’s IRGC Navy preventing a US helicopter carrier from approaching the Iranian territorial waters in the Strait of Hormuz, August 17, 2023. (Photo by Tasnim news agency)

Video footage released by Iran's Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) Navy shows Iranian speedboats issuing warnings to a US helicopter carrier in the Strait of Hormuz, forcing the warship to ground its choppers before they can enter Iran’s territorial waters.

Addressing a gathering of high-profile IRGC commanders and officials in Tehran on Saturday, Rear Admiral Alireza Tangsiri said the Navy made the intruding vessel to comply with orders from the Iranian speedboats.

The commander said the IRGC deployed vessels from the Zolfaqar flotilla to the scene and, in coordination with the speedboats, forced the US helicopters to land shortly after they took off from the vessel's flying deck. 

During the Saturday meeting, the IRGC Navy released footage from the Thursday confrontation.

Tangsiri said the August 17 intrusion was the first of its kind by US forces since November 2021.

The top commander underscored the prowess of the IRGC Navy and said, "Iran and other neighboring Persian Gulf countries can ensure regional security and they have no need to the presence of outsiders."

Tangsiri said the IRGC Navy’s success in monitoring the maritime movements in the Persian Gulf and its vigilance in the face of threats, particularly from the warships of extra-regional countries, proved that the Iranian forces would never allow enemies to undermine security in the strategic region.

Iran has made it clear that it views US military vessels lurking in the waters of the Persian Gulf as a threat to its national security and a source of tension and instability in the region.

The Islamic Republic has repeatedly vowed to give a decisive response to any hostile move by Washington that would disrupt the security of the strategic waterway.