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The United States Central Command (CENTCOM) said Friday it will not tolerate “unsafe” actions by Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) as Iran announced plans to conduct live-fire naval exercises next week in the Strait of Hormuz.
In a written statement, CENTCOM urged the IRGC to carry out the planned exercises in a manner that is “safe, professional and avoids unnecessary risk” to freedom of navigation for international maritime traffic in the strategically vital strait.
CENTCOM said it would ensure the safety of U.S. personnel, ships and aircraft operating in the Middle East, stressing that the United States will not tolerate unsafe IRGC actions.
The statement listed specific behaviors considered unacceptable, including overflight of U.S. military vessels engaged in flight operations, low-altitude or armed overflights of U.S. military assets when intentions are unclear, high-speed boat approaches on a collision course with U.S. military vessels, and weapons being trained at U.S. forces.
The announcement comes as tensions between Washington and Tehran have escalated in recent weeks, following remarks by U.S. President Donald Trump that a “massive armada” of American ships was moving toward Iran.
Trump has also publicly called on Tehran to “come to the table” for negotiations, adding to the backdrop of rising military and diplomatic pressure surrounding the region.
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