An Iranian naval patrol boat fired on a Singapore-flagged commercial ship in the Persian Gulf on Thursday in an apparent attempt to disable it over a financial dispute over damage to an Iranian oil platform, a US official said.
The Iranians initially fired warning shots Thursday after the MT Alpine Eternity refused to move into Iranian waters. The incident took place a bit south of the island of Abu Musa just inside the Gulf, according to the US official, who was not authorised to discuss details by name. The official said the US military was not involved in the incident.
After the warning shots were fired the ship began heading toward territorial waters of the United Arab Emirates, and the Iranians then opened up with machine gun fire, according to the U.S. official. The official said early reports indicated no one aboard the ship was injured.
In response to a call for help from the Alpine Eternity, the UAE coast guard responded and the Iranian patrol vessels left the area.
Officials at Transpetrol, the Singapore-flagged ship’s manager, who were reached by telephone, said they had no immediate information. The company lists offices in Belgium, Norway, Switzerland and Bermuda.