Days after a failed missile test from one of its submarines, on Sunday, Iran test fired a torpedo in the Strait of Hormuz.
It is unknown whether or not the test was successful, but Iran’s continued acts of aggression should be of great concern to U.S. military forces.
Iran Fires Torpedo In Strait of Hormuz – https://t.co/RspxlBIls1 pic.twitter.com/ifcnwDoB8L
— Breaking911 (@Breaking911) May 8, 2017
From Fox News:
The Hoot torpedo, which has a range of six miles, was fired in the Strait of Hormuz, where much of the world’s oil passes each day.
The test was carried out in Iranian territorial waters and did not break any international protocols, but the advances Iran is making with this powerful torpedo — which could travel at 250 miles per hour — has Pentagon officials worried.
It is not the first time Iran has tried to test this torpedo. The last time it did so was in February 2015. This incident comes on the heels of other recent provocations from Iran.
On May 3, Iran participated in a failed cruise missile test from a submarine and in April a U.S. Navy guided-missile destroyer fired a warning flare after an Iranian Revolutionary Guard vessel approached within 1,000 meters of the USS Mahan.
Iranian officials announced in April that the Islamic Republic’s defense budget increased 145 percent under President Hassan Rouhani.
Iran’s continued testing of missiles should put pressure on the United States to work with the international community to fix the failed nuclear deal. One has to wonder if the billions of dollars the United States handed over to the Iranian government has funded their increased investment in military spending.
So far, President Trump has failed to make any formal statement on these two Iranian weapons tests, but given his strong rhetoric in the past, we can only guess that this administration will not stand for such actions much longer.
Iran’s decision to flaunt its military technology shows that it has no fear of repercussions, an attitude that cannot be tolerated by the international community.
How should the United States respond to Iran testing a torpedo? Share your thoughts below!