Report: Navy Fires 3 Warning Shots After Iranian Ship Sails Too Close in Persian Gulf

The U.S Navy fired warning shots Wednesday after an Iranian ship came within 200 yards of an American ship in the Northern Persian Gulf, Fox News reported.

An Iranian warship takes part in a naval parade in 2006. (Photo: AP)

A Navy official said the U.S.S. Squall fired three warning shots into the water when the Iranian ship came too close. CNN reported on air that firing shots into the water is U.S. military protocol when service members feel threatened. It is the last resort before taking lethal action.

The ship reportedly was forced to take a different course as a result of the incident, even though they came close to offshore oil rigs.

Another incident Tuesday involved four Iranian boats that harassed an American ship in the Strait of Hormuz. No shots were filed in that incident, as TheBlaze previously reported.

The news comes eight months after Iran detained and later released ten American sailors after they accidentally steered into Iranian waters. Before their release, the American sailors were seen in image circulated around the world on their knees with their hands behind their heads.

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