US Ship Fires On Iranian Vessel
Updated:16:39, Friday April 25, 2008
A ship under US military command has fired "a few bursts" of warning shots towards two boats, believed to be Iranian.
A US defence official confirmed the cargo ship was contracted by the US Military Sealift Command.
The Westward Venture was travelling north in international waters in the central Persian Gulf when the incident happened.
"They were able to avoid a serious incident by following the procedures that we use," said Commander Lydia Robertson, a spokeswoman for the US Navy's Bahrain-based Fifth Fleet.
She said the cargo ship was approached by two unidentified small boats, and the crew tried to establish radio contact.
When they got no reply, a flare was fired at the boats, which also got no response.
The cargo ship's security team then fired "a few bursts" of machine gun and rifle warning shots, according to Commander Robertson.
"The small boats left the area a short time later," she said.
A US defence official told the Reuters news agency the boats were believed to be Iranian.
In January, the US said Iranian boats threatened its warships along a route used for crude oil shipments.
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