US official: Iran vessels make 'high speed intercept' of U.S. ship
WASHINGTON -- Four Iranian small boats harassed a US Navy warship near the Persian Gulf, but no missiles were fired, the chief of naval operations said Wednesday.
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.
The USS Nitze was in international waters in the Strait of Hormuz with the USS Mason, also a guided missile destroyer. The official wasn't authorized to discuss the incident publicly so spoke anonymously.
