Iran Airs Its Own Video of Hormuz Encounter
CAIRO — Iran aired video today of its boats and American naval ships in the Persian Gulf in an apparent attempt to show that there was no confrontation between the vessels.
Press TV via AP Television
An American naval ship is purportedly seen in this image taken from Iranian TV today, purportedly showing a weekend standoff between small Iranian boats and American naval ships in the Persian Gulf.
The grainy 5-minute, 20-second video showed a man speaking into a handheld radio, with three American ships floating in the distance. It appeared to be shot from a small boat bobbing at least 100 yards from the American warships.
RELATED: Video Available at Website of Iran's Press TV
The footage did not show any Iranian boats approaching the American vessels or any provocation. But the short clip likely did not show Sunday's entire encounter, which U.S. Navy officials described as threatening, and said lasted about 20 minutes.
A Pentagon official said the video appeared to have been taken around the time of Sunday's confrontation but that the controversial parts of the incident were edited out. He spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak publicly about the video.
The clip aired on Iran's state-run English-language channel Press TV, whose signal is often blocked inside Iran. It also aired on the state-run Al-Alam Arabic channel, with an announcer saying the video showed "a routine and regular measure."
At first, the footage was broadcast without sound, but state TV later aired it with audio of radio transmissions between the boats.
"Coalition warship 73, this is (an) Iranian navy patrol boat, how do you copy?" a man's voice said in heavily accented English.
"This is coalition warship 73, I read you loud and clear. We are operating in international waters," an American voice replied.
The Pentagon has released its own video of Sunday's incident, showing small Iranian boats swarming around American warships in the Strait of Hormuz.
In the recording, a man threatens in English, "I am coming to you. ... You will explode after ... minutes."
The incident, which ended without any shots fired, has heightened American-Iranian tension as President Bush visits the region. Mr. Bush was in the West Bank today, and heads next to Arab Gulf nations where he is expected to discuss strategy on Iran.
Iran has denied its boats threatened the American vessels, and accused Washington of fabricating its video. The Pentagon dismissed that claim and warned its ships would respond with force if threatened.
Today, the Web site of the Iranian state broadcasting company quoted a top Revolutionary Guards commander as calling the Pentagon's video "unusual and illogical."
"This attention by the U.S. media and officials to a routine encounter means Americans are taking an unusual approach to very ordinary issue," the Guards' acting naval chief, General Ali Fadavi, was quoted as saying.
