US and British navies relieve blockade of merchant ship in Strait of Hormuz

On June 5, the US Navy said its sailors and the British Royal Navy came to the aid of a merchant ship they accused of being "harassed" by Iran's Revolutionary Guard in the Strait of Hormuz, according to the AP news agency.

According to the US Navy, an unidentified merchant vessel sent a distress signal on the afternoon of June 4, while it was passing through the Strait of Hormuz. The tanker reported being harassed by three Iranian attack boats, but said the Iranian vessels did not appear to be attempting to seize the merchant vessel.

The US Navy released images of what it said were three fast attack craft from the Iranian Revolutionary Guard approaching a commercial vessel in the Strait of Hormuz on June 4.

The US Navy guided-missile destroyer USS McFaul and the Royal Navy destroyer HMS Lancaster both received distress signals. Lancaster immediately launched a helicopter to monitor the situation. The US directed a Poseidon maritime patrol aircraft to the scene and it monitored the activity.

After about an hour, the US Navy said the situation had “de-escalated.” The Iranian vessel left the scene shortly afterward, while the merchant ship continued through the Strait of Hormuz without further incident, according to The Maritime Executive.

Iran's state media and the Revolutionary Guard have not commented on the report. Iran's mission to the United Nations has not responded to requests for comment.

The latest incident follows a series of maritime incidents believed to be linked to Iran after the US unilaterally withdrew from Tehran's nuclear deal with world powers in 2018.

Last week, Iran said it planned to step up its activities in the region and announced the formation of a naval coalition. Iranian state media said Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Bahrain, India and Pakistan were involved in the effort.

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