US: Iran fired rockets near American warships

Get the Full StoryAn Iranian rocket came within 1,500 yards of American aircraft carrier USS Harry S. Truman in the Strait of Hormuz, a Pentagon official reportedly told CNN.

The incident occurred on December 26 at approximately 11:25 a.m., 23 minutes after the Iranian navy announced it was about to conduct a live-fire training exercise in the area, Reuters reports.

According to an NBC report, the rockets were not fired directly at the US aircraft carrier but near it.

US Central Command spokesman, Cmdr. Kyle Raines, referred to the event as "uncharacteristic of most interactions" between the US and Iranian navies, CNN reports.

"While most interactions between Iranian forces and the US Navy are professional, safe, and routine, this event was not and runs contrary to efforts to ensure freedom of navigation and maritime safety in the global commons," Cmdr. Raines said.

According to the Pentagon, the USS Harry S. Truman was operating in an "internationally recognized maritime traffic lane" when Iran's navy conducted their exercise.

According to Cmdr. Raines, the American aircraft carrier did not stray into designated Iranian waters.

Flickr US Navy Photo

According to Agence France Presse, a French frigate and the USS Bulkeley destroyer were also in the area.

The USS Harry S. Truman recently arrived in the Persian Gulf to support coalition airstrikes against ISIS in Iraq and Syria.

NOW WATCH: The US Navy s 4.4 billion futuristic missile destroyer just set out to sea

Share: