The Washington Post quoted a US military official as saying that 3 boats belonging to the Iranian Revolutionary Guard approached two US military ships in the Gulf waters "at a dangerous speed."

The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, explained that the warship USS Sirocco and the military transport ship USNS Choctaw County were in a routine transit in international waters in the Gulf, on Monday. When the three Iranian boats - which he described as designed to launch lightning attacks - approached the Sirocco directly.

The US military official added that the boats diverted after the Sirocco issued a warning signal.

The Iranian boats also came within 50 yards (45.7 meters) of the Choctaw County, which prompted Sirocco to fire a warning flare.

Tensions have escalated in recent weeks between Iran on the one hand and the United States and Israel on the other, against the backdrop of a Western decision condemning Tehran at the International Atomic Energy Agency, the assassination of Revolutionary Guards Colonel Hassan Sayyad Khadayi, the Israeli bombing of Damascus International Airport, and the disclosure of the deployment of Israeli radars in the UAE and Bahrain.


In addition, the chief spokesman for the Iranian armed forces, Brigadier General Abolfazl Shakarji, confirmed on Monday that the announcement of an air defense alliance that includes Israel, America and regional allies, is due to "the desperation and impotence of the Zionist entity only," according to the Iranian Tasnim news agency.

Regarding the flight of American B-52 bombers and Israeli combat aircraft over the Gulf, Shakarji said, "This movement was a showpiece," according to the Iranian agency.

And Israeli Defense Minister Benny Gantz had revealed that Israel, the United States and regional allies had established an air defense alliance, and that he had succeeded in thwarting Iranian attempts to attack Israel and other countries in the Middle East, he said.

Bloomberg Network quoted Gantz as saying - during a session in Parliament - that the so-called "Middle East Air Defense" program, which was developed last year, is already working to protect Israel and its neighbors from attacks by missiles, cruise missiles and drones.