The Iranian military conducted a failed missile test from a submarine in the Strait of Hormuz on Tuesday. Two US officials say that Iran launched a missile from a Ghadir-class ‘midget’ submarine.
The Iranian military conducted a failed missile test from a submarine in the Strait of Hormuz on Tuesday, US officials told Fox News on Wednesday.
The cable news channel cites two unnamed US officials who say that Iran launched a missile from a Ghadir-class ‘midget’ submarine.
The submarine is based on the Yono-class miniature submarines that are manufactured by North Korea.
Iran and North Korea are the only two nations to operate this type of vessel, according to Fox News.
The reported test comes just days after a US warship was forced to change course and fire warning flares by an Iranian attack boat that raced towards it with its weapons manned.
The USS Mahan had to take evasive action as the Iranian fast attack craft approached it in the Persian Gulf on April 24.
Fox News reports the foreign vessel did not come any closer than 1,000 yards, however that was still enough for those aboard the American destroyer to sound a warning signal and man its own weapons.
A navy official confirmed the incident to the network, and described it as an act of provocation.
‘Coming inbound at a high rate of speed like that and manning weapons, despite clear warnings from the ship, is obviously provocative behavior, ‘ the anonymous official said.
The Mahan is a 505-foot-long Arleigh Burke-class destroyer that is manned by more than 300 members.
It can reach speeds of 30 knots, and is capable of firing standard and Tomahawk missiles.
In January, crew aboard the vessel fired warning shots at four Iranian vessels near the Strait of Hormuz from its .50 caliber machine gun.
The shots were fired off when the Iranian boats refused to slow down after being requested to by the American crew.
A US Navy helicopter also dropped a smoke float before the warning shots were fired.
Pentagon officials said at the time the Iranian vessels came within 900 yards of the Mahan, which was escorting two other US military ships.
The two incidents came after then-candidate Donald Trump threatened any Iranian vessels that harass the US Navy in the Gulf would be ‘shot out of the water.’
In August another US Navy ship fired warning shots towards an Iranian fast-attack craft that approached two US ships.
The Straits of Hormuz is a crucial pinch point at the eastern end of the Persian Gulf, where ships carrying millions of tons of oil from Iran, Iraq, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates pass through every day.
