Iran's navy on Sunday announced that 19 sailors were killed and 15 wounded after a
missile struck a support craft during a training exercise.The ship, which usually carries a crew of 20 sailors, was placing targets in the ocean for other ships to use during the exercise, held in the Straits of Hormuz. Iranian state media revealed the friendly
fire incident, signaling the severity of the mishap.The incident marks the second severe friendly fire accident by Iranian
MILITARY forces this year. The first occurred following the
American killing of top Iranian commander Qasem Soleimani in January.
Iran retaliated by launching around 15 ballistic missiles at U.S. positions in
Iraq, but hours after that retaliation Iran's missile defense system shot down a Ukrainian passenger jet taking off from Tehran International Airport.All 176 passengers and crew were killed. Iran admitted on January 11 that it had accidentally shot down the plane, after denying it had done so for several days.The U.S. subsequently bolstered its military presence in the
Middle East in anticipation of further retaliation. However, the
Coronavirus pandemic has hit Iran harder than any country in the region with at least 109,000 cases as of Monday, complicating the country's military operations.