The U.S. Navy has accused Iranian Revolutionary Guard vessels of harrassing U.S. Coast Guard ships in international waters in the southern Arabian (Persian) Gulf.
The Navy said the incident occurred April 2 when the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Navy (IRGCN) vessel Harth 55 and three accompanying fast attack craft approached the U.S. Coast Guard patrol boats USCGC Wrangell (WPB 1332) and USCGC Monomoy (WPB 1326) during routine maritime security patrols.
In photos and video released of the incident, the Harth 55 can be seen repeatedly crossing the bows of the U.S. Coast Guard vessels at “an unnecessarily close range,” coming within just a 70 yard at the closest point of the approaches.
“The Harth 55 closed aggressively on Wrangell’s bow, resulting in Wrangell maneuvering to avoid collision while sounding five short blasts from the ship’s horn,” according to the U.S. Navy.
The U.S. crews issued multiple warnings via bridge-to-bridge radio, plus five short blasts from the ships’ horns. while the Harth 55 responded to the bridge-to-bridge radio queries, they continued the unsafe maneuvers, the Navy said.
“After approximately three hours of the U.S. issuing warnings and conducting defensive maneuvers, the IRGCN vessels maneuvered away from the U.S. ships and opened the distance between them,” according to he Navy.
“The IRGCN’s actions were deemed unsafe and unprofessional. Their actions increased the risk of miscalculation and collision, were not in accordance with the internationally recognized Convention on the International Regulations for Preventing Collisions at Sea (COLREGS) ‘rules of the road’ or internationally recognized maritime customs, and were not in accordance with the obligation under international law to act with due regard for the safety of other vessels in the area,” the Navy said.
The USCGC ships are assigned to Patrol Forces Southwest Asia (PATFORSWA), the largest U.S. Coast Guard unit outside the United States, and operate under U.S. Naval Forces Central Command’s Task Force 55.
ARABIAN GULF (April 2, 2021) Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Navy (IRGCN) Harth 55, left, conducted an unsafe and unprofessional action by crossing the bow of the Coast Guard patrol boat USCGC Monomoy (WPB 1326), right, as the U.S. vessel was conducting a routine maritime security patrol in international waters of the southern Arabian Gulf, Apr. 2. U.S. Navy PhotoARABIAN GULF (April 2, 2021) Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Navy (IRGCN) Harth 55, center, approaches the Coast Guard patrol boat USCGC Wrangell (WPB 1332) bow in an unsafe and unprofessional action forcing the Wrangell to conduct a defensive maneuver, Apr. 2. U.S. Navy PhotoARABIAN GULF (April 2, 2021) Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Navy (IRGCN) Harth 55, left, conducted an unsafe and unprofessional action by crossing the bow of the Coast Guard patrol boat USCGC Monomoy (WPB 1326), right, as the U.S. vessel was conducting a routine maritime security patrol in international waters of the southern Arabian Gulf, Apr. 2. U.S. Navy Photo
China's military criticized on Friday the sailing of a British warship through the Taiwan Strait as a deliberate attempt to "cause trouble," while Taiwan's president ordered monitoring stepped up in response to Chinese military activities.
The Nigerian Navy has arrested 76 vessels and at least 242 suspects in anti-oil theft operations, and destroyed more than 800 illegal refining sites during a two-year crackdown, it said on Thursday.
By Ellen Milligan Jun 15, 2025 (Bloomberg) –UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer said he has no doubts that the Aukus defense pact with the US and Australia will continue despite President...
June 15, 2025
Total Views: 1384
Get The Industry’s Go-To News
Subscribe to gCaptain Daily and stay informed with the latest global maritime and offshore news
— just like 109,327 professionals
Secure Your Spot
on the gCaptain Crew
Stay informed with the latest maritime and offshore news, delivered daily straight to your inbox
— trusted by our 109,327 members
Your Gateway to the Maritime World!
Essential news coupled with the finest maritime content sourced from across the globe.
This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.
Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website.