Alarming new tension between Iran and US in Persian Gulf

So you might have heard about the incidents in which US is complaining about Iran's dangerous and "unprofessional" behavior in PG .

It includes a series of events involving Iranian Coast Guard/ IRGC /IRIAF and of coarse USN/USAF . US says that Iranian Coast Guard is harassing US warships in Persian Gulf with close and dangerous encounters. they say that these encounters are unprofessional and provoking in nature .

US claims that her warships are passing through the international waters and Iran has no right to do what she's doing : forcing US warships to change coarse when they come close to her waters (as long as they are in international waters ) .

Iran says that she is practicing her right to defend herself and her waters and is abiding by international rules

In this article posted by al-monitor the legal prospects of the incidents are reviewed :

TEHRAN, Iran — Tensions appear to be mounting again in the Strait of Hormuz, as seen in a video released by the US military Aug. 23. The footage shows four patrol boats operated by Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) approaching a US destroyer in the narrow waterway. US military officials say two of the patrol boats came within 300 yards of the destroyer USS Nitze. A series of similar incidents were reported the following day with one encounter resulting in the US ship firing warning shots. Earlier, on July 12, US media had reported five IRGC speedboats coming within close proximity of a US ship in the Persian Gulf.

Iranian Defense Minister Hossein Dehghan, however, defended the movements of the IRGC patrol boats, stating, “Preserving the country’s security at sea and in the Persian Gulf is our responsibility. It is natural that these boats would be continuously monitoring the traffic of foreign vessels in Iran’s territorial waters.

In 1993, Iran approved the Act on the Marine Areas of the Islamic Republic of Iran in the Persian Gulf and the Oman Sea. The statute extends Iran’s sovereignty beyond the “Strait of Hormuz and the Oman Sea, to a belt of sea, adjacent to the baseline, described as the territorial sea.” It also declares that the passage of foreign vessels is subject to the principle of innocent passage so long as it is not prejudicial to good order, peace and security of the Islamic Republic of Iran. Moreover, Article 8 states, “The Government of the Islamic Republic of Iran, inspired by its high national interests and to defend its security, may suspend the innocent passage in parts of its territorial sea.” In addition, Article 9 states, “Passage of warships, submarines … through the territorial sea is subject to the prior authorization of the relevant authorities of the Islamic Republic of Iran. Submarines are required to navigate on the surface and to show their flag.” Iran's logic is based on the Strait of Hormuz being divided into three respective northern, central and southern zones. Ships crossing the northern zone must pass through Iran’s territorial waters, with the ones crossing at the extreme end of the northern zone being forced to enter the territorial waters of the Iranian islands of Greater Tunb, Lesser Tunb and Faror. The Sultanate of Oman, the southern Strait of Hormuz littoral state, has subjected the passage of foreign warships to prior notification in a similar vein. Iran continues to abide by Article 16 of the 1958 Convention on the Territorial Sea and the Contiguous Zone, the first part of which states, “The coastal state may take the necessary steps in its territorial sea to prevent passage which is not innocent.” Moreover, based on Articles 14 and 16 of the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), the coastal state may engage in certain measures in its maritime waters for security reasons. This includes stopping the passage of ships, requesting information from foreign military vessels or calling on vessels to vacate the waters immediately.

Although the United States has yet to sign UNCLOS, it views the document as a reflection of customary international law and has tried to benefit from it. Iran, however, considers this unacceptable. Indeed, Tehran's view is that because the transit rights of passage were first proposed in the 1982 convention, they cannot be considered customary international law. Regardless, Iran has been what is described as a persistent objector on the issue of customary international law, and Washington has no right to impose it on Tehran.

Complete story here : LINK


Moreover : As Iranian Navy officers claim, US ships have themselves been very busy provoking Iran and trying to ignite a military response from Iran . on a recent Incident USAF Recon aircraft approached Iran's border and "tried to test Iran's response" as a US official said. the provoking and unprecedented move prompted Iranian Air Defense HQ to Issue a Shoot Down warning to USAF airplanes .

In one incident in which even the IRIN bigger ships and frigates were involved, USN ships provoked Iranian counterparts by referring to Persian Gulf as Arabian Gulf !!! a very very childish and unprofessional move on their part to make IRIN respond .

What are your thoughts and intake ? who is unprofessional ? someone who performs Combat Air Patrols near another country's borders, calls International waters by a wrong name to provoke them, or someone who tries to protect herself ?

Obama is their new bitch. They feel they can do what they want now....

a reply to: haman10

Iran are mates with Russia now , I think that gives them the confidence to do what they like in the Gulf , what's America going to do about it ?
The new world order is fast approaching and it aint what we thought it was going to be.

So it's different when China or Russia cruises international waters of any other country? The US, just like any other nation, has the right to cruise international waters. It doesn't belong to Iran! That's why it's called INTERNATIONAL. We have the same around the US and you're damn skippy other countries use it just like we do elsewhere. It's national security for all parties.

Personally, if I had been in control of those US ships, any Iranian dumb@$$ that wants to go nose deep into a naval destroyer, I wouldn't steer away. I wouldn't fire one over the bow. That's a definite and clear sign of aggression. That Iranian idiot boat would be sleeping with Davey Jones. No more wussy stuff. You puff your chest at a superior vessel when it obviously shows no intent on attacking, you'll become flack scrap!

So to answer your question, Iran is very unprofessional. They're not protecting their country because the US isn't in their waters. Iran isn't protecting anything except their ego. They remind me of someone with little man syndrome. You know... the lil guy who wants to boah up to everyone and anyone to prove themselves.

If Iranian Airforce & Naval drills were happening close to US waters the response would be the same, so I have to say it's the US that's unprofessional mate.


I feel for you Haman. Sincerely.
Because it's been known for a few years that your country is on the globalist & Wahhabi list of regime change.

You are a strong people and I have every confidence that you will pull through...
I just hope we don't get another Libya or Syria with Iran.

Maybe the US should just withdraw its military from places it is clearly not welcome instead of intentionally provoking other countries?

How would America feel if China decided all its carrier training was going to take place only 200 miles from San Fransisco?

Because that's how all these countries (China, Russia, Iran, the DPRK, etc. ) feel when the US decides to sh** in their backyards.

a reply to: haman10

. US says that Iranian Coast Guard is harassing US warships in Persian Gulf with close and dangerous encounters. they say that these encounters are unprofessional and provoking in nature .

A "Persion Gulf Incident"? Just like they did before the Vietnam war to justify entering the country of Vietnam and occupying it militarily.

But you guys are going to believe the lie this time round?

Gulf of Tonkin

They must be feeling brave after they received the ransom they requested.

a reply to: Bluntone22

If the US treated them like a real country and not a punching bag they wouldn't have to take hostages in order to get what is their own money back off them.

a reply to: intrptr

Yes they will. The US media drums up unjustified hatred of Iran, coupled with almost total Warhawk control of congress which contains a not insignificant amount of suicidal doomsday cultists who believe it is their duty to back Israel in whatever idiot scheme the genocidal Likud party has decided on this week.

There would be no Anti-war protests like their was with Vietnam. Just thunderous applause for another one of America's imperial conquests.

a reply to: Ohanka

The US media drums up unjustified hatred of Iran, coupled with almost total Warhawks control of congress which contains a not insignificant amount of suicidal doomsday cultists who believe it is their duty to back Israel in whatever idiot scheme the genocidal Likud party has decided on this week.

So we agree, except the media and politicians are owned, they just implement 'policy'.

originally posted by: Ohanka
Maybe the US should just withdraw its military from places it is clearly not welcome instead of intentionally provoking other countries?

How would America feel if China decided all its carrier training was going to take place only 200 miles from San Fransisco?

Because that's how all these countries (China, Russia, Iran, the DPRK, etc. ) feel when the US decides to sh** in their backyards.

The US is there to protect its allies - maybe you'd like ISIS & Iran to take over the whole region?

originally posted by: gortex
what's America going to do about it ?

Well, if the an Iranian vessel was run over, then we have an incident.

This is just Iran acting like a bunch of children. They know they are in a no-lose situation. If they pester US naval warships they get good press for internal consumption, while if an Iranian vessel was rammed, that the "Big Satan" is at it again and a whole numvh of young men will be tropped out to burn a few flags and some people will even believe the US was being confrontational!

Sad thing is that people think it's OK to play these games in a busy international waterway.

My advice to the US navy is to just steam ahead and if some dick puts themself in the way then they suffer the consequences. Lucky my advice will never be taken.

a reply to: Steak

Seeing as ISIS are mortal enemys of Iran thats not going to happen.

a reply to: Steak

The Islamic State and Iran are not allies though. Iran is one of the Islamic State's biggest opponents.

Incidentally the US allies in the region, Israel, Saudi Arabia and other such places seem strangely unaffected by the Islamic State's terror campaign.

How odd.

originally posted by: Bluntone22
They must be feeling brave after they received the ransom they requested.

This was going on before America gave back the money it stole. But don't let facts get in the way of your ignorance.

a reply to: StallionDuck

As a captain the last thing you would allow is any forigen vessel within collision range. There is always the possibility the vessel is rigged to explode. The choice they have is either to try to communicate with the vessel, fire warning shots, or change course. The last resort is warning shots and then if nothing worked you sink em. These are the games countries play and most with any real military do. You want to see responses and gather Intel just like we do. You don't think we try to provoke responses around the world and observe the reaction? We probably have huge databases of such Intel on every country with a military.

originally posted by: crazyewok
a reply to: Steak

Seeing as ISIS are mortal enemys of Iran thats not going to happen.

I'm saying one or the other, take your pick.

a reply to: Ohanka

Not odd at all actually when American Warships are protecting them.

a reply to: haman10

Meanwhile in Syria US none boots on the ground are rejected by Turkish moderate rebels that probably wont agree to a cease fire .