Iran says U.S. ships shot flares in 'unprofessional' encounter

Iran in a statement Saturday reported and decried a second encounter between its vessels and the U.S. Navy in the Persian Gulf this week.

"The Americans made a provocative and unprofessional move by issuing a warning and shooting flares at vessels," the Iranian Revolutionary Guards said, adding, "Islam's warriors, without paying attention to this unconventional and unusual behavior from the American vessels, continued their mission in the area and the aircraft carrier and accompanying battleship left the area."

The Pentagon has yet to respond to the statement. Earlier this week, a U.S. Navy patrol boat crew fired two rounds of warning shots into the water by an unidentified Iranian military boat after it moved toward the American vessel at an unexpectedly high speed.

The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

Sign up