DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — The U.S. Navy on Saturday released footage it said showed Iranian Revolutionary Guard vessels firing rockets near warships and commercial traffic in the strategic Strait of Hormuz late last month, a move raising tensions between the two nations despite the recent nuclear deal.
The Navy said it released the footage in response to a Freedom of Information Act request, though it also comes as U.S. ally Saudi Arabia has cut ties to the Islamic Republic following attacks on diplomatic posts there after the kingdom's execution of a Shiite cleric.
The 45 seconds of black-and-white Dec. 26 footage, which the Navy said was shot from a Seahawk helicopter, shows what appears to be an oil tanker passing by. A flash appears on the left side of the video and after zooming in, it shows small boats the Navy said were Iranian firing rockets.
The Navy has said the USS Harry S. Truman aircraft carrier, the USS Bulkeley destroyer and a French frigate were nearby at the time, as well as commercial vessels.
There was no immediate reaction in Tehran to the video's release. Previously, Gen. Ramezan Sharif, a Revolutionary Guard spokesman, said his forces didn't carry out any drills there at that time and called the American comments "psychological warfare."
Read Sunday's Arkansas Democrat-Gazette for full details.