US Navy fired warning at Iranian craft

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US Navy fired warning at Iranian craft

By SEBASTIAN ABBOT, Associated Press Writer

Fri Jan 11, 4:53 PM ET

CAIRO, Egypt - The U.S. Navy said Friday that one of its ships fired

warning shots at a small Iranian boat in the Strait of Hormuz in

December during one of two serious encounters that month.

The USS Whidbey Island fired the warning shots on Dec. 19 in response

to a small Iranian boat that was rapidly approaching it, said a U.S.

Navy official.

" One small (Iranian) craft was coming toward it, and it stopped after

the Whidbey Island fired warning shots, " said the official, speaking

on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the issue.

It was the first official confirmation that the United States had

fired warning shots in any recent confrontation with Iran in the Gulf.

In the second incident that month, the USS Carr encountered three

small Iranian craft on Dec. 22, two of which were armed, said the

official. The USS Carr did not fire warning shots, but sent warning

blasts on the ships whistle, which caused the boats to turn around.

The reports come a day after the United States lodged a formal

diplomatic protest with Iran over an incident Sunday in which Iranian

speedboats harassed U.S. warships in the Persian Gulf.

Adm. J. Fallon, the top U.S. military commander in the

Mideast, said Friday that Iran runs the risk of triggering an

unintended conflict if its boats continue to harass U.S. warships in

the strait.