Report: Iranians threatened U.S. warships

[unhappycamper]

Report: Iranians threatened U.S. warships
By Jeff Schogol, Stars and Stripes
Mideast edition, Tuesday, January 8, 2008

ARLINGTON, Va. — Iranian speedboats reportedly made provocative actions toward three U.S. warships Sunday in the Strait of Hormuz.

CNN first reported Monday that five Iranian boats made aggressive moves toward the ships and sent threatening radio transmissions, including: “I am coming at you. You will explode in a couple of minutes.”

There were no injuries, but a Pentagon official said there could have been because the Iranian boats turned away “literally at the very moment that U.S. forces were preparing to open fire” in self-defense.

Iran’s Foreign Ministry said Monday that the confrontation was “something normal” and was resolved. It suggested the Iranian boats had not recognized the U.S. vessels.

Pentagon officials confirmed the report later Monday and identified the three ships involved as the guided missile destroyer USS Hopper, the frigate USS Ingraham and the USS Port Royal, a guided missile cruiser.


Rest of article at: http://www.stripes.com/article.asp?section=104&article=51467