March 7, 2017

U.S. Navy surveillance ship USNS Invincible (T-AGM-24) was forced to change direction in order to avoid a collision with an Iranian Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps boat on March 4.

The surveillance ship was harassed by several Iranian boats as it was transiting the Strait of Hormuz together with three ships from the Royal Navy, Reuters reported, citing a U.S. official.

The boats came within 600 yards of the U.S. and Royal Navy ships and stopped in their tracks, forcing USNS Invincible to change course.

Attempts to communicate via radio with the Iranian boats were unanswered, the official further said.

This is the second time Iranian and U.S. vessels have faced off in the Strait of Hormuz this year. Back in January, U.S. Navy’s Arleigh Burke-class destroyer USS Mahan was forced to fire three warning shots at Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps vessels after they came within 800 meters of the ship.

USNS Invincible is a Military Sealift Command-operated ship used to monitor missile launches and collect data.