US ship fires warning shots at Iranian vessel

A US Navy ship fired warning shots after an Iranian fast-attack craft approached two US ships in the northern Gulf on Wednesday, a US Defense official said.

The official, speaking on the condition of anonymity, said three warning shots were fired from a .50 caliber gun after warning flares did not work. The incident started with three Iranian vessels, but there was only one Iranian vessel around by the time the warning shots were fired, the official said.

The official added that at one point an Iranian vessel came within 200 yards (193 meters) of a US ship. The United States on Wednesday had reported another incident in which it said Iranian vessels harassed a US warship near the Strait of Hormuz earlier this week.