A US Navy warship has fired a warning flare at an Iranian speedboat during a tense encounter in the Strait of Hormuz.
In a video of the incident, the Iranian Revolutionary Guard vessel can be seen speeding toward the USS Sirocco, causing it to repeatedly blow its horn.
The boat, called the Guard Boghammer, turns away as it closes in before a flare shot can be heard, but not seen.
The US Navy said the Boghammar came within 50 yards of the Sirocco, raising the risk of the vessels running into each other in the important waterway.
The Guard’s “actions did not meet international standards of professional or safe maritime behaviour, increasing the risk of miscalculation and collision”, the US Navy said.
Iran did not immediately acknowledge the encounter, which lasted for about an hour and also featured two other Iranian vessels.
The incident comes as tensions remain high over stalled negotiations regarding Iran’s nuclear deal with world powers and as the country gains more enriched uranium, bringing its supply closer to weapons-grade levels.
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A similar event also occurred in March, when three Guard ships had a tense encounter with Navy and US Coastguard vessels as they travelled through the strait.
The Navy claimed the Iranian Guard’s catamaran Shahid Nazeri came within 25 yards of the USCGC Robert Goldman, causing the US Coast Guard to issue multiple warnings via radio and deploy flares.
It took place just as a deal between Iran and world powers on restoring the nuclear deal looked possible, before the talks broke down.
In 2015, the two sides agreed to the nuclear deal, which saw Iran drastically limit its enrichment of uranium in exchange for the removal of economic sanctions.
Three years later, Donald Trump, who was the US president at the time, unilaterally withdrew America from the accord, raising tensions across the wider Middle East and sparking a series of attacks and incidents.
Talks in Vienna about reviving the deal have been on a “pause” since March.
