US Navy ship fires warning shots towards Iranian vessel in northern Gulf

Author: Leroy Wright

Iran's defense minister vowed Thursday that any US or other warships that enter Iranian waters would be "severely punished", as the Pentagon confirmed that a USA patrol vessel had fired warning shots after being approached by an Iranian attack boat in an "unsafe" manner.

Defense Department officials said the Iranian fast-attack boat was harassing two U.S. navy ships and a Kuwaiti Navy ship on Wednesday, CNN reported.

The official said two boats ignored the warnings and continued to speed toward the NITZE until they were within 300 yards of the USA ship. After two of the Iranian boats came closer, the USA crew used its ship whistle and flares in an attempt to communicate with the Iranians, but those attempts were also ignored.

The Iranian boat sped away after the USS SQUALL fired the three warning shots into the waters ahead of the speeding boat to warn it off.New details have emerged about the incident in the southeastern part of the Persian Gulf near the Straits of Hormuz - a key global shipping route - where the destroyer USS Nitze was approached by four Iranian boats, two of which came within 300 yards.

Only after the two Iranian vessels had closed to within 300 yards of Nitze did they slow their speed before ultimately moving away. Tempest and Squall had two run-ins on Wednesday. It also fired 10 flares in the direction of two of the Iranian vessels.

His incendiary comment which would most likely launch the country in a war if it was carried out came after recent confrontations between the US and Iran on international waters.

Four Iranian vessels "harassed" a U.S. Navy warship Tuesday as it sailed near the Strait of Hormuz, the Navy said Thursday. The USS NITZE attempted to make contact with the Iranian vessels 12 times, but received no response.

A defense official told AFP that ships from the United States and Iranian navies had interacted more than 300 times in 2015 and more than 250 times the first half of this year. But Iran remained defiant in the face of USA accusations. Mr Cook said the intention of the Iranian ships was unclear but their behaviour was unacceptable, as the boats were in global waters.

If any foreign vessel enters our waters, we will give them a warning and if it is an act of aggression, we will confront them, he said. Pentagon Press Secretary Peter Cook acknowledged the three incidents Thursday, but said he did not have details. Iran says its naval forces will warn or confront any ship entering its territorial waters.

Source: crcconnection.