US ship fires warning shot at Iranian boat

By Safvan Allahverdi

WASHINGTON

A U.S. Navy ship fired a warning shot Tuesday at an Iranian patrol boat that moved close to another U.S. Navy ship in the Persian Gulf, according to the Pentagon.

U.S. officials said the Iranian vessel came within 150 yards of the coastal patrol ship, USS Thunderbolt, and did not respond to repeated attempts to establish radio communications as it approached.

"[The] USS Thunderbolt fired warning flares and sounded the internationally recognized danger signal of five short blasts on the ship's whistle, but the Iranian vessel continued inbound," the navy said. "As the Iranian vessel proceeded toward the U.S. ship, Thunderbolt again sounded five short blasts prior to firing warning shots in front of the Iranian vessel."

After the warning shots were fired, the Iranian vessel, which was armed, halted its unsafe approach, officials said.