WASHINGTON — A Navy official says a U.S. ship was forced to change course and move out of the way of Iranian fast boats while moving through the Strait of Hormuz during the weekend, in what has become a frequent occurrence there.
No warning shots or flares were fired. The official says the Iranian boats tried to get between the U.S. and other ships, coming within about 600 yards of the USNS Invincible, a tracking ship. The U.S. ship was traveling north through the strait into the Persian Gulf.
The official says the Navy considers the incidents unprofessional and dangerous, but they have been happening fairly regularly. In previous incidents, U.S. ships have fired warning shots.
The official was not authorized to discuss the incident publicly so spoke on condition of anonymity.
This report has been updated to correct the type of ship of the USNS Invincible.
