The Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said Monday that nine soldiers were killed in direct clashes with the US Navy in the Persian Gulf waters, local media reported.
The Mehr news agency quoted Navy commander Alireza Tangsiri as saying that the clashes took place in the Persian Gulf, without specifying the time.
Tangsiri said the clashes resulted in the killing of nine IRGC soldiers, without providing any further details.
The Navy commander pointed out that there have been many direct clashes between Iranian and US naval forces.
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“We have launched nine strikes over our fallen martyrs,” he said, without giving further details. There was no comment from US authorities on the Iranian statements.
Earlier this month, the Iranian Navy seized a Vietnamese oil tanker following a close encounter with US naval forces in the Sea of Oman. The vessel was released a week later following hectic negotiations between the two sides.
Iran responsible for nuclear crisis
The United States and its Arab allies in the Gulf accused Iran Wednesday of causing a nuclear crisis and destabilizing the Middle East with ballistic missiles and drones.
The warning came in a joint statement issued after a meeting of the US and Gulf Cooperation Council working group on Iran, which was held in Saudi Arabia.
#Iran's IRGC navy says in clashes with the US Navy 9 of its sailors have been killed, without providing details or timing of any fatal incident.
IF TRUE, the Biden admin has kept silent to not endanger any chance of talks with Iran.
Iran senses weakness.https://t.co/yZes1ieUNT
— Heshmat Alavi (@HeshmatAlavi) November 21, 2021
“All participants urged the new Iranian administration to seize the current diplomatic opportunity” stemming from the resumption of talks in Vienna aimed at salvaging the Iranian nuclear accord, and “prevent conflict and crisis,” the statement said.
These indirect talks between the US and Iran were suspended after Iran elected a new president in June and are now scheduled to resume late this month.
They are aimed at resurrecting the 2015 multinational accord aimed at preventing Iran from developing nuclear weapons.
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The US under then president Donald Trump pulled out of the accord in 2018, and in response Iran has abandoned many of the commitments it made under that agreement to curb its nuclear program.
Anadolu with additional input by GVS News Desk