Iranian forces dangerously flashed a laser at a US Marine Corps attack helicopter

• Iranian naval ships repeatedly shined a laser at a US Marine Corps helicopter on Wednesday.
• No one was injured, but the US Navy slammed the incident as "unsafe" and "unprofessional."

Iranian naval forces repeatedly flashed a laser at a US Marine Corps attack helicopter flying above Middle Eastern waters, the US Navy said on Thursday, as tensions between the two countries remain high across the region.

A spokesperson for US Naval Forces Central Command (NAVCENT) said at around 7:30 p.m. local time on Wednesday, vessels belonging to Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Navy (IRGCN) pointed a laser several times at the AH-1Z Viper helicopter while it was conducting "routine operations" in international airspace above the Arabian Gulf.

NAVCENT said the incident did not cause any injuries or damage to the aircraft, but slammed the incident as dangerous and reckless. It's not the first time that Iranian ships have pointed lasers at US military aircraft, which could potentially interfere with the pilot's vision and lead to an accident.

"These are not the actions of a professional maritime force. This unsafe, unprofessional, and irresponsible behavior by the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps Navy risks US and partner nation lives and needs to cease immediately," Cmdr. Rick Chernitzer said in a Thursday statement. "US naval forces remain vigilant and will continue to fly, sail and operate anywhere international law allows while promoting regional maritime security."

The helicopter is assigned to the 26th Marine Expeditionary Unit and attached to the Wasp-class amphibious assault ship USS Bataan, which is in the middle of a deployment to the region to counter an uptick in Iranian harassment incidents over the past few years.

Iran's Guard Corps — a hardline force that reports directly to the country's supreme leader, and which the Trump administration labeled a terrorist group — have repeatedly harassed, attacked, and seized internationally flagged commercial vessels transiting Middle Eastern waters. US Navy officials have routinely slammed these incidents as a threat to maritime security, and in an attempt to deter this behavior, the Pentagon dispatched an assortment of fighter jets and warships to bring extra firepower to the region.

"These additional forces provide unique capabilities, which alongside our partners nations in the region, further safeguard the free flow of international commerce and uphold the rules based international order, and deter Iranian destabilizing activities in the region." Gen. Michael Kurilla, commander of US Central Command (CENTCOM), said in July. Several weeks later, in early August, over 3,000 US sailors and Marines from the Bataan Amphibious Ready Group and 26th Marine Expeditionary Unit arrived had arrived in the area.

The high tensions between the US and Iran exist on land, too. American troops stationed in Iraq and Syria found themselves engaged in deadly exchanges of fire with Iran-backed militias earlier this year, which experts say reflects Tehran's desire to gradually expel Washington's forces from the region; the Guard Corps plays a key role supplying and training these militias outside of Iran.

White House National Security Council Spokesperson John Kirby told reporters last week that although there's been a "significant decrease" in the attacks on US troops by Iran-backed militias, Tehran still continues to harass commercial shipping in waters off the coast of the Middle East.

Overall, Kirby said, "they continue their destabilizing behaviors."