US Navy Says Its Ship Fired Warning Shots At Iranian Craft In December
CAIRO, Egypt (AP) — The U.S. Navy says one of its ships fired warning shots at a small Iranian boat in one of two serious encounters last month.
An official says Iran’s boat was rapidly approaching the U.S. ship in the Strait of Hormuz in the December 19th incident.
The official says the boat then stopped after the warning shots were fired.
This is the first confirmation that the U.S. had fired warning shots in any recent confrontation with Iran in the Gulf. It comes after boats belonging to Iran’s Revolutionary Guards swarmed three U.S. Navy ships in the Strait on Sunday.
Admiral William Fallon, the top U.S. military commander in the Mideast, says Iran runs the risk of triggering an unintended conflict if its boats keep harassing U.S. warships in the strait.
