A US Navy ship fired “disabling shots” at a small vessel that came too close to it in the Persian Gulf region, killing one and injuring three, officials told Fox News.

The incident happened Monday within maritime borders of the United Arab Emirates near Jebel Ali, a port town 35 kilometers southwest of Dubai. The town is northwest of the Strait of Hormuz, a key regional oil route that Iran has repeatedly threatened to block over sanctions against its nuclear program.

The USNS Rappahannock fired shots from a .50 caliber machine gun because the operator of the small boat, whose nationality is unknown, ignored audible and visual signals to move away, two senior US defense officials said.

After the firing, dozens of police and other Emirati officials crowded around the white-hulled boat, which sat docked in a small Dubai port used by fishermen and sailors.

The boat appeared to be a civilian vessel about 9 meters long and powered by three outboard motors. Similar boats are used for fishing in the region, though Iran's Revolutionary Guard also employs relatively small, fast-moving craft in the Gulf.

Rescue workers were seen carrying one person in a body bag off the boat and placing it in an ambulance as fishermen looked on. Officials moved the boat from the harbor shortly afterward.

The US Navy's 5th Fleet, based in Bahrain, said it was investigating the Monday shooting. The US Embassy in Abu Dhabi had no immediate comment, referring all questions to the Navy.

Emirati officials could not be reached for comment.

US military vessels routinely cross paths with Iranian ships in international waters in the Gulf without incident, but speed boats from Iran's Revolutionary Guard have passed close to US ships in incidents that have raised alarm in Washington.

In early 2008, then President Bush accused Iran of a "provocative act" after five small Iranian craft buzzed around the destroyer USS Hopper.

Tensions are elevated in the Gulf after Iran last week renewed threats to close the strategic Strait of Hormuz -- the route for one-fifth of the world's oil -- in retaliation for tighter sanctions over Tehran's nuclear program. The US recently boosted its naval presence in the Gulf with additional minesweepers and other warships.

The US said Monday that it’s sending an aircraft carrier to the Middle East several months early to make sure two will constantly be present in the troubled region.

READ FULL SOURCE ARTICLE


The BasicsProject.org informational and educational pamphlet series is now available for Kindle and iPad. Click here to find out more...


The New Media Journal and BasicsProject.org are not funded by outside sources. We exist exclusively on tax deductible donations from our readers and contributors. Please make a tax deductible donation today.