US Navy says small Iranian boats harassed warship in Strait of Hormuz

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The guided-missile destroyer USS Nitze, which US Navy officials say was harassed by four vessels from Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps on Wednesday. Photo: AFP

Published: 9:14am, 25 Aug 2016Updated: 9:32pm, 25 Aug 2016

Four Iranian small boats harassed a US Navy warship near the Persian Gulf, but no shots were fired, the chief of naval operations said Wednesday.

Admiral John Richardson said the incident involving the guided missile destroyer USS Nitze reflects the greater competition the US is facing at sea. He added it underscores the naval tensions with Tehran, which include other similar incidents as well as the brief detention in January of 10 US Navy sailors who mistakenly steered into Iranian waters.

A US defence 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.

Small Iranian military motorboats travel near the USS New Orleans in the Strait of Hormuz in this still image taken from January 6, 2012 video footage. Small Iranian military motorboats approached US vessels passing through the Strait of Hormuz Again this week. Photo: Reuters

The official said two boats ignored the warnings and continued to speed toward the Nitze until they were within 300 metres 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 authorised to discuss the incident publicly so spoke anonymously.