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Iran’s Guards Intercepted U.S. Speedboats in Gulf, TV Says

Iran’s Guards Intercepted U.S. Speedboats in Gulf, TV Says

Navy units from Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps intercepted U.S. speedboats in the Persian Gulf, state-run Islamic Republic of Iran News Network reported, without specifying when the alleged confrontation took place.

The U.S. Navy’s Fifth Fleet, which polices the waters, said no such incident occurred. Iran’s state broadcaster published a video on Thursday in which Iranian forces are heard saying, “Let’s get closer and give them a warning” and “Point the heavy machine gun at them.”

The report didn’t give details of where in the Persian Gulf the alleged incident took place or how it ended. State TV said the release of the video coincided with the IRGC’s annual navy day.

The footage was aired as talks between the U.S. and Iran over reviving the 2015 nuclear deal remain at a standstill. The Trump administration abandoned the accord three years ago, triggering a security crisis in the waterway, which is a key transit route for global oil supplies.

©2021 Bloomberg L.P.