US, UK Navies Respond to Ship in Strait of Hormuz

Facts

• The US Navy and the UK's Royal Navy said their sailors came to the aid of a ship in the Strait of Hormuz on Sunday afternoon, after reports that Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corp (IRGC) “harassed” the vessel.¹
• According to a US statement, three fast-attack IRGC vessels with armed troops aboard approached a commercial ship at a close distance Sunday afternoon in the Strait of Hormuz. The US Navy provided black-and-white images it said came from a US Navy Boeing P-8 Poseidon overhead, showing three small boats nearby to the commercial vessel.²
• The US Navy guided-missile destroyer USS McFaul and the UK Royal Navy frigate HMS Lancaster both reportedly received the distress call. The Lancaster deployed a helicopter for observation and directed a maritime patrol aircraft to monitor the incident.³
• The Navy said that “the situation deescalated approximately an hour later when the merchant vessel confirmed the fast-attack craft departed the scene," and that the ship continued "without further incident."⁴
• This interaction is the latest among other maritime situations after Washington's withdrawal from the Iran nuclear deal in 2018.⁵

Sources: ¹2 News KTVN, ²New York Post, ³DVIDS, ⁴Al Jazeera, and ⁵Associated Press.

Narratives

• Pro-establishment narrative, as provided by Associated Press. The US and UK navies are devoted to protecting the Straight of Hormuz from Iranian aggression. This recent incident goes to show the strength and responsiveness of these navies.
• Establishment-critical narrative, as provided by Al Jazeera. Neither Iran nor the US is completely blame-free in this conflict, as both sides have stoked aggression through the seizing of ships and displays of military strength. De-escalation and dialogue must be pursued.

Predictions