A Pentagon spokesperson indicated that “we have… made clear through diplomatic channels our concerned [sic] about IRGC navy activities”, adding: “The IRGC’s not the Iranian state navy and doesn’t have the same reporting structure as the Iranian state navy. Our interactions with the Iranian state navy have remained professional, but that’s a whole different reporting chain up to the elected government, and the IRGC doesn’t report along those same lines”. He further maintained that “you don’t need a hotline with the IRGC to communicate”, adding: “I don’t believe that there’s a need, nor… I would suspect no appetite for any sort of operational or strategic communication between us and the IRGC. We have diplomatic channels that we work through appropriately to communicate our displeasure to Tehran”. The spokesperson asserted that “our commanders at sea have the right and responsibility to defend themselves against threats”, and noted: “This incident [on 26 April]… did finally result in what ended up finally breaking the fever… Nobody wants to even see it come to that”.