Iran released a video Wednesday of their soldiers seizing an oil tanker in the Gulf of Oman and their troops training machine guns on two US destroyers that were deployed to the scene but did not intervene.
The dramatic takeover happened as tension between the countries intensifies, and reports of Iranian drones approaching a US warship in the Strait of Hormuz surfaced.
The Iranian government said in a statement Wednesday that the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) was foiling a US attempt to seize an Iranian oil tanker.
US officials denied Iran's account, and said America did not try to take over the vessel, Reuters reported.
The Government of the Islamic Republic of Iran said in a statement that Americans 'seized an Iranian oil tanker in the Sea of Oman, transferred its oil to another tanker, and taken the tanker to an unknown place.
'The IRGC forces in a heliborne operation took control of the tanker. Then the American forces pursued the tanker by helicopters and warships but failed to capture it.’
Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps troops trained their guns on a massive US warship as they took over an oil tanker in the Gulf of Oman
Not far from the Gulf of Oman, Iranian drones reportedly approached a US warship in an 'unsafe and unprofessional' manner in the Straight of Hormuz
Video footage of the takeover shows gun-toting IRGC troops landing a helicopter on the tanker and storming out to seize control of the oil carrier.
The U.S. Navy deployed two destroyer ships to observe the takeover but did not intervene.
Another video showed the IRGC canvasing the waters in catamarans as troops pointed their machine guns on the US’s massive warship, which dwarfed Iran’s vessels.
A Reuters report Wednesday indicated that Iranian drones had approached the U.S. Navy amphibious assault ship Essex in the Strait of Hormuz.
The drones had ‘unsafe and unprofessional interactions with the USS Essex warship,’ in the past 24 hours, Reuters reporter Idrees Ali said Wednesday morning on Twitter.
Meanwhile, President Joe Biden said Sunday that Iran will pay 'economically' if they do not resume negotiations on the nuclear deal.
Iranian troops are seen loading into a helicopter as they prepare to seize control of the tanker
Once they land on the vessel, they survey the grounds with guns drawn
A giant US warship dwarfs the Iranian military's catamaran votes, but does not intervene
The Iranian government said in a statement Wednesday that the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps was foiling a US attempt to seize an Iranian oil tanker
The president's comments came after Secretary of State Anthony Blinken said Sunday morning that the US.
