U.S. Naval Forces Central Command reported that “eleven Iranian Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Navy (IRGCN) vessels repeatedly conducted dangerous and harassing approaches” toward six U.S. vessels “conducting joint integration operations with U.S. Army AH-64E Apache attack helicopters in the international waters of the North Arabian Gulf”. The statement assessed that “the IRGCN's dangerous and provocative actions increased the risk of miscalculation and collision”, adding: “U.S. naval forces continue to remain vigilant and are trained to act in a professional manner, while our commanding officers retain the inherent right to act in self-defence”. Iranian Minister of Defence Amir Hatami subsequently argued that “what creates insecurity in the Persian Gulf region is in fact the illegal and aggressive presence of Americans, who have come near our borders from the other side of the world”.