Aussies Repelled Iranians

Heretofore unreported is this item noting Australian naval personnel beat back the Iranians prior to Iran seizing British sailors back in March.

The Defence Department has confirmed a report Iranian naval forces in the Persian Gulf tried to capture an Australian navy boarding team but were repelled in the face of machine guns and "highly colourful language".

According to the BBC, the incident took place before Iranian Revolutionary Guards seized 15 British sailors and marines in March, setting off a tense two-week diplomatic stand-off that might have been avoided if Britain had learned from the Australian encounter.

I guess the Iranians weren't offering free goodie bags yet.

Quoting a "military source", BBC security correspondent Frank Gardner reports Iranian forces made a concerted attempt to seize a boarding party from the Royal Australian Navy and that the Australians "were having none of it".

"The BBC has been told the Australians re-boarded the vessel they had just searched," Gardner reports, "aimed their machine guns at the approaching Iranians, and warned them to back off, using what was said to be 'highly colourful language'.

"The Iranians withdrew, and the Australians were reportedly lifted off the ship by one of their own helicopters."