An inflatable boat dispatched by the U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Monomoy fired a warning shot at an Iranian dhow (fishing boat), after a member of the dhow's crew aimed a machine gun at the American boat with what the U.S. Navy called "hostile intent."
The incident took place in international waters in the Arabian Gulf.
A statement released by the U.S. 5th Fleet reports the Monomoy dispatched the small boat after the Monomoy's crew lost contact with the Iranian dhow.
Cmdr. Kevin Stephens, U.S. 5th Fleet spokesman, explained to Stars and Stripes...
The small boat crew observed that the dhow had two .50-caliber machine guns, with one manned during the approach.
When the dhow's gunner aimed and charged the weapon at the approaching U.S. personnel, the small boat crew immediately turned away from the dhow, and its gunner fired one round...
“I know there was one shot fired. Nobody hurt. Both the cutter and the dhow parted ways and there wasn’t more to it than that."
Ironically, it was the Monomoy that rescued mariners from a sinking Iranian dhow in the Arabian Gulf back in 2012, saving the men's lives.
