Four Iranian small boats harassed a US Navy warship near the Persian Gulf, but no missiles were fired, the chief of naval operations John Richardson said.
According ti him, the incident involving the guided missile destroyer USS Nitze reflects the greater competition the US is facing at sea. He added it underscores the naval tensions with Tehran, which include other similar incidents.
A US defense official said the Iranian boats approached the Nitze at high speed on Wednesday, in an unsafe and unprofessional manner. The destroyer fired ten flares in the direction of the Iranian boats and sounded the ship's whistle several times in an effort to warn the boats away, the official said. The Nitze also tried to communicate with the Iranians over the radio, and also changed course to avoid the vessels.
The official said two boats ignored the warnings and continued to speed toward the Nitze until they were within 300 yards of the US ship.
