May 11, 2020

IRAN: Dozens of Iranian Sailors Were Reportedly Killed After An Iranian Destroyer Accidentally Opened Fire On Another Iranian Destroyer.

The Daily Wire
written by Ryan Saavedra
Sunday May 10, 2020

Dozens of Iranian sailors were reportedly killed during the early morning hours on Monday after an Iranian destroyer accidentally opened fire on another Iranian destroyer.

“Dozens of sailors in Iran’s Navy were killed early Monday after a on-board missile was accidentally shot from one destroyer and hit another,” The Jerusalem Post reported. “During a military drill, a C-802 missile was fired toward another Iranian Navy destroyer, striking it and causing extensive damage, the reports said.”

“Some 40 naval service members were missing after the incident, local media outlets reportedly said,” according to Haaretz. “Iran’s Fars semi-official news agency meanwhile said one person was killed and several injured during a naval exercise.”

The news comes after tensions between the U.S. Navy and the Iranian Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Navy (IRGCN), which is a designated terrorist organization, increased last month when 11 Iranian gun boats swarmed a U.S. destroyer in the region.

The U.S. Navy said in a statement at the time:
On April 15, eleven Iranian Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Navy (IRGCN) vessels repeatedly conducted dangerous and harassing approaches of the USS Lewis B. Puller (ESB 3), USS Paul Hamilton (DDG 60), USS Firebolt (PC 10), USS Sirocco (PC 6), USCGC Wrangell (WPB 1332) and USCGC Maui (WPB 1304) while the U.S. vessels were conducting joint integration operations with U.S. Army AH-64E Apache attack helicopters in the international waters of the North Arabian Gulf.

The IRGCN vessels repeatedly crossed the bows and sterns of the U.S. vessels at extremely close range and high speeds, including multiple crossings of the Puller with a 50 yard closest point of approach (CPA) and within 10 yards of Maui’s bow.

The U.S. crews issued multiple warnings via bridge-to-bridge radio, five short blasts from the ships’ horns and long-range acoustic noise maker devices, but received no response from the IRGCN.

After approximately one hour, the IRGCN vessels responded to the bridge-to-bridge radio queries, then maneuvered away from the U.S. ships and opened distance between them.

The IRGCN’s dangerous and provocative 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 U.S. Navy, Coast Guard, Marines and Army have been conducting joint interoperability operations in the North Arabian Gulf since late March.

U.S. naval forces continue to remain vigilant and are trained to act in a professional manner, while our commanding officers retain the inherent right to act in self-defense.
Trump later responded to the incident by saying, “I have instructed the United States Navy to shoot down and destroy any and all Iranian gunboats if they harass our ships at sea.”
Fox News
written by David Aaro
Sunday May 10, 2020

An Iranian missile fired during a training exercise struck a support ship in the Gulf of Oman on Sunday, killing 19 sailors and injuring 15 others, according to a report on Monday.

The missile struck Konarak, a Hendijan-class support ship, which Iranian media said was too close to a target during the exercise. The incident was called an accident.

The ship that fired the missile was a Moudge-class frigate called Jamaran. The missile reportedly struck the Konarak ship, Iran’s Tasnim news agency said.

About a dozen sailors were wounded, the state-run IRNA news agency reported.

The Konarak had been placing targets for other ships to fire upon. The Dutch-made 155-foot ship had been overhauled in 2018 and was able to launch sea missiles. It normally has a crew of about 20 sailors and had been in service since 1988 -- with a capacity of 40 tons.

The incident occurred near the port of Jask, about 790 miles southeast of Tehran.

Iran regularly holds exercises in the region, which is close to the strategic Strait of Hormuz, the narrow mouth of the Persian Gulf through which 20 percent of the world’s oil passes through.

The vessel was towed into a nearby naval base after the strike. A photograph released by the Iranian army showed burn marks and some damage to the ship.

“The circumstances of the incident are currently undergoing technical examinations,” Iran’s Students News Agency ISNA said, according to Reuters.

The U.S. Navy's 5th Fleet, which monitors the region, didn't immediately respond to a request for comment.

Iranian media rarely report on incidents during its exercises. This incident also comes amid months of heightened tensions between Iran and the U.S.

It marks the second serious incident involving a misfired missile by Iran's armed forces this year. In January, after attacking U.S. forces in Iraq with ballistic missiles, Iran's paramilitary Revolutionary Guard accidentally shot down a Ukrainian jetliner, killing all 176 people on board.

Posted by Princess Mononoke at 2:50 PM

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