TEHRAN, IRAN — A U.S. Navy ship fired warning shots at an Iranian boat on Wednesday amid rising tensions between the two navies in the Persian Gulf. <br /> <br />The USS Squall patrol ship fired three warning shots at the Iranian vessel just a day after video emerged of Iranian patrol boats reportedly harassing a U.S. destroyer in nearby waters, ABC News reported. <br /> <br />Two US ships and a Kuwaiti vessel were charged by an Iranian boat on Wednesday in international waters in the northern Persian Gulf. <br /> <br />The Iranian Naser-class fast attack boat approached at high-speed, and wasn’t discouraged by a few warning flares. <br /> <br />The Iranian vessel came within 180 meters of the USS Tempest patrol boat. That’s when the USS Squall fired three warning shots and the Iranian boat finally buzzed off. <br /> <br />Earlier on Wednesday, the U.S. ships were intercepted by three Iranian Navy boats, which ignored warnings to back off. <br /> <br />The incident followed a skirmish in the Strait of Hormuz on Tuesday, which saw four Iranian boats getting up close and personal with the USS Nitze destroyer. <br /> <br />U.S. defense officials said the Iranian boats had come way too close for comfort. <br /> <br />The U.S. called on Iran to behave responsibly at sea by acting in a safe and professional manner and by respecting international maritime law, Business Insider reported.
