Iran missed a hit on a US drone watching over the site of the attacked tankers in the Gulf of Oman by ‘approximately one kilometer’, U.S. Central Command has said.
The MQ-9 had observed the Norwegian Front Altair on fire – which 23 mariners were later rescued from – and a spokesperson said it was likely an attempt to intercept the observation from the incident on Thursday.
‘According to our assessment, a modified Iranian SA-7 surface-to-air missile attempted to shoot down a U.S. MQ-9, at 6:45 a.m. local time, June 13, over the Gulf of Oman, to disrupt surveillance of the IRGC attack on the M/T Kokuka Courageous,’ CENTCOM’s Lt. Col. Earl Brown told ABC News on Saturday.
‘The SA-7 was ineffective and its closest point of approach to the MQ-9 was approximately one kilometer. Subsequent analysis indicates that this was a likely attempt to shoot down or otherwise disrupt the MQ-9 surveillance of the IRGC attack on the M/T Kokuka Courageous.’
Iran missed a hit on a US drone watching over site of attacked Gulf of Oman tankers. This undated handout photo provided by the U.S. Air Force shows a MQ-9 Reaper
The MQ-9 had observed the Norwegian Front Altair on fire with 23 mariners on board Thursday
Spokesperson said it was an attempt to intercept observation from Kokuka Courageous attack
The United States has accused the Iran Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) of placing mines on the hulls of the Courageous but one did not detonate.
This week video was shared claiming to be IRGC heading back to retrieve the mine that did not go off.
On Saturday the men on board the Front Altair were finally on their way home after being flown to the United Arab Emirates.
A handout photo made available by the US Navy shows sailors aboard the Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Bainbridge (DDG 96) rendering aid to the crew of the M/V Kokuka Courageous at sea in the Gulf of Oman
They ‘departed Iran, from Bandar Abbas airport, and landed at Dubai International Airport at 1830 CET this afternoon’, a Saturday statement said.
A Frontline spokesman said the crew, of Russian, Filipino and Georgian nationalities, were well-looked after by Iranian authorities.
Most flew home straight after arrival to Dubai, with the rest traveling on Sunday.
Dubai ship later rescued international workers but Iran took them into custody. Some mariners from the MT Front Altair looks out the window of a bus after leaving Dubai International Airport in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, on Saturday
Crew members of the MT Front Altair are pictured on Saturday night after their Iran Air flight from Bandar Abbas, Iran
It was two days after they were rescued by Hyundai Dubai after the Front Altair caught fire, sending a thick cloud of black smoke visible even by satellite from space.
Iran demanded they be put in their custody.
The order was reportedly denied when the ship’s master contacted the Seoul shipping company’s headquarters but the master felt he had to oblige to the Iranian men on small boats.
A picture obtained by AFP from the Iranian news agency Tasnim on June 14, 2019 shows what they say are some of the crew of the oil tankers which were targeted in suspected attacks in the Gulf of Oman, after they were reportedly rescued by the Iranian navy
The ships were struck in the same strategic sea lane where four oil vessels were sabotaged last month in attacks Washington blamed on Tehran
It wasn’t the first attempt to shoot down a US MQ-9, according to CENTCOM.
Brown stated that another drone over Yemen was successfully targeted by a Houthi SA-6 surface to air missile on June 6.
‘The altitude of the engagement indicated an improvement over previous Houthi capability, which we asses was enabled by Iranian assistance,’ Brown told ABC News.
The attacks left two tankers in flames, bumping up oil prices and further raising regional tensions triggered by a bitter US-Iran standoff.
The ships were struck in the same strategic sea lane where four oil vessels were sabotaged last month in attacks Washington blamed on Tehran.
The attacks left two tankers in flames, bumping up oil prices and further raising regional tensions triggered by a bitter US-Iran standoff