A U.S. Navy patrol boat fired warning shots toward an Iranian naval ship during a “tense encounter” in the Persian Gulf on Tuesday, according to an American defense official.
The U.S. Cyclone-class patrol ship, the USS Thunderbolt, was at the time involved in an exercise with American and partner vessels in the Persian Gulf, the Associated Press reported.
An American defense official told the AP that the Iranian naval vessel came within 150 yards of the Thunderbolt. After the Iranian vessel did not respond to radio calls, flares, or warning sirens, U.S. sailors were forced to fire warning shots.
Tense naval encounters are not uncommon between Iranian and U.S. forces in the Gulf: Ten U.S. sailors were detained by the Iranian military in January 2016. The U.S. Navy condemned the actions taken by Iranian forces, calling them “outrageous and unacceptable,” and has since taken significant steps to prevent future incidents.
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