US says Iranian warships, chopper seize ship in Persian Gulf

The U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) said on Wednesday evening, that Iranian forces, supported by two ships and a helicopter, carried out a military operation in international waters and seized a ship called “Wila.”

The CENTCOM account on Twitter said that Iranian forces, accompanied by two ships and an Iranian “Sea King” helicopter, boarded a ship called the Wila in international waters; they allegedly seized the vessel.

The U.S. military account also published a video clip that showed a helicopter flying over the ship, and showed people carrying out a landing operation on its deck.

قوات #إيرانية برفقة سفينتين ومروحية ايرانية طراز “Sea King” (سي كنغ) قامت اليوم في المياه الدولية بالاستيلاء والصعود على متن سفينة تحمل عنوان "ويلا" (Wila). pic.twitter.com/AdCB5NNM9j

— U.S. Central Command (@CENTCOMArabic) August 12, 2020

Tehran has yet to comment on the operation, and the media in Iran has not reported about it.

Late last month, Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) conducted large-scale naval and army exercises, dubbed the “Great Prophet-14”, near the Strait of Hormuz.

During the drills, the IRGC showcased their naval capabilities, which included an operation to capture a mock U.S. aircraft carrier. AMN