Iran Ship, US Helicopter Exchange Laser-Flare Fire
Iranian Navy Houdong guided missile boat Jun 2017
An Iranian missile ship pointed its laser at a U.S. helicopter on Tuesday, sparking an immediate response from the helicopter which "fired off flares" at the ship, according to Fox News.
The incident occurred as two Navy ships and a cargo ship were traveling through international waters in the Strait of Hormuz.
The Iranian missile boat came within 800 yards of the three U.S. ships, which Cdr. Bill Urban called an "unsafe and unprofessional" encounter.
"The amphibious assault ship USS Bataan (LHD 5), guided-missile destroyer USS Cole (DDG 67) and dry cargo ship USNS Washington Chambers (T-AKE-11) were transiting the strait when the Iranian vessel paralleled the U.S. formation, shining a spotlight on Cole," said Urban, per the Washington Examiner.
"Shortly thereafter, the Iranian vessel trained a laser on a CH-53E helicopter that accompanied the formation," Urban added. "The Iranian vessel then proceeded to turn its spotlight on Bataan, scanning the ship from bow to stern and stern to bow before heading outbound from the formation."
Urban also spoke about the potential hazard that's caused by shining a laser at a helicopter at night.
"Illuminating helicopters with lasers at night is dangerous as it creates a navigational hazard that can impair vision and can be disorienting to pilots using night vision goggles," Urban said.
This is just the most recent interaction that has brought criticism onto Iran.
U.S. military officials have criticized Iran in the past for "unprofessional" encounters like the one Tuesday.
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