WASHINGTON (Sputnik) — The comment comes in the wake of the reports by US media that said that the USS Mahan had to switch on the danger signal and change its course after having a close encounter with the Iranian military ship.
"The guided missile destroyer USS Mahan had an unprofessional interaction with an Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Navy (IRGCN) vessel while transiting the international waters of the Arabian Gulf, April 24," the statement said.
CENTCOM explained the Iranian vessel came within 1,100 yards of the Mahan and was "closing the distance despite the Mahan maneuvering to open the distance between the two vessels."
NAVCENT assessed this interaction as unprofessional due to the Iranian vessel closing the distance to the US ship in violation of the maritime "rules of the road," CENTCOM continued.
NAVCENT did not assess this interaction as unsafe in any way, the statement added.
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