A small U.S. Coast Guard boat patrolling the Persian Gulf fired a single shot at a ship that was waving an Iranian flag — a brief encounter that raised eyebrows for the aggression that could have followed.
U.S. officials emphasized that the encounter didn’t escalate, The Wall Street Journal reported. They added that both vessels went their separate ways after the single shot — described as a warning shot — was fired.
The Coast Guard Patrol Boat Monomoy had been making contact with the bridge of the Iranian dhow, a common Middle Eastern vessel, when crew suddenly quit talking, U.S. military officials said, The Wall Street Journal said. The Coast Guard then sent out one of its small boats aboard the Monomoy to check what was going on, said Navy Commander Kevin Stephens, a spokesman for the U.S. Fifth Fleet.
Cmdr. Stevens said the crew then targeted a .50 caliber machine gun at the Coast Guard’s boat — showing “hostile intent,” The Wall Street Journal reported. The small Coast Guard boat then fired the warning shot, he explained.
• Cheryl K. Chumley can be reached at cchumley@washingtontimes.com.
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