NOURNEWS- A US aircraft carrier that entered Persian Gulf waters was forced to change its course and land its helicopters after receiving a direct warning from Iranian naval forces, the commander of the Islamic Revolution Guard Corps Navy in Iran General Alireza Tangsiri said.
The US Central Command (CENTCOM) confirmed on Monday that the US strike group led by the aircraft carrier USS Dwight D. Eisenhower passed through the Strait of Hormuz into the waters of the Persian Gulf.
CENTCOM added that the strike group would carry out patrols to "ensure freedom of navigation" along key international waterways, as well as support "CENTCOM requirements throughout the region."
Brigadier General Alireza Tangsiri revealed that the navy dispatched drones to the American warship when it encountered the military vessels of the IRGC, forcing the US vessel to head toward the south of the Persian Gulf "in compliance with our instructions" after forcing it to land its helicopters.
He emphasized that the United States is well aware that the Iranian forces closely monitor the movements of its forces in the Persian Gulf and have control over the region. Tangsiri asserted that the IRGC Navy could easily target the American aircraft carrier using missiles and drones.
In late October, US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said the United States sent the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower carrier strike group to Persian Gulf and deployed additional air defenses throughout the region as it anticipated a continued escalation of attacks against American forces in the region amid the Israeli war on Gaza.
Additionally, the USS Gerald R. Ford carrier strike group was deployed in the Eastern Mediterranean to serve as a deterrent to any third parties that might consider joining the conflict against Israel, the Pentagon said earlier.
NOURNEWS