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US Warship Fires Warning Shot at Iranian Military Vessel

by Carla Babb

   PENTAGON --

   A U.S. Navy ship patrolling in the Persian Gulf fired warning shots at
   an Iranian Revolutionary Guard ship after it got too close to the
   vessel, a U.S. defense official confirmed to VOA Tuesday.

   The USS Thunderbird fired "a couple of warning shots" at the Iranian
   vessel after it came within 140 meters of the U.S. ship at a high rate
   of speed, according to the official.

   The shots were used as a last resort after the Iranian ship failed to
   respond to calls over the radio and sound signals from the American
   ships, including five blasts from the U.S. Navy ship's whistle, an
   international symbol for danger.

   Two ships from the United States Coast Guard were patrolling with the
   USS Thunderbird during the incident, the defense official told VOA.

   The defense official called the incident "unsafe and unprofessional."

   "These sort of unsafe and provocative actions from the Iranians do
   nothing but needlessly increase the risk for miscalculation," the
   official told VOA.

   Last month, an Iranian military vessel trained a laser on an American
   helicopter that was accompanying three American military ships in the
   Strait of Hormuz.

   Commander Bill Urban, the spokesman for the US Navy's Fifth Fleet, said
   the Iranian vessel came within 730 meters of the USS Batan assault
   ship.