Iran Unnerves U.S. by Firing Rockets Close to Carrier
- 8 years ago
Nothing grabs the attention of the American military like a member of the "axis of evil" firing rockets close to a U.S. Navy aircraft carrier, the biggest stick in the Pentagon's massive arsenal.
That's just what Iran did Saturday, shooting several unguided rockets about 1,500 yards from the USS Harry S. Truman and a pair of smaller U.S. and French warships in the Strait of Hormuz.
"Firing weapons so close to passing coalition ships and commercial traffic within an internationally recognized maritime traffic lane is unsafe, unprofessional, and inconsistent with international maritime law," Navy Commander Kevin Stephens said Wednesday from U.S. 5th Fleet headquarters in Bahrain.
It marked the third time since October 2014 that an Iranian vessel had launched rockets "within visual range" of a U.S. aircraft carrier, he said, adding that the most recent launches were "much closer" than the earlier ones.
That's just what Iran did Saturday, shooting several unguided rockets about 1,500 yards from the USS Harry S. Truman and a pair of smaller U.S. and French warships in the Strait of Hormuz.
"Firing weapons so close to passing coalition ships and commercial traffic within an internationally recognized maritime traffic lane is unsafe, unprofessional, and inconsistent with international maritime law," Navy Commander Kevin Stephens said Wednesday from U.S. 5th Fleet headquarters in Bahrain.
It marked the third time since October 2014 that an Iranian vessel had launched rockets "within visual range" of a U.S. aircraft carrier, he said, adding that the most recent launches were "much closer" than the earlier ones.