A Coast Guard boat operating in the Persian Gulf fired in defense on an Iranian vessel Tuesday, according to a Defense Department statement.
An inflatable craft from the patrol boat Monomoy approached the sailing vessel to speak with the crew, part of normal security operations, according to the department. The dhow’s crew aimed a machine gun at the Coast Guardsmen with hostile intent, the statement said.
The Coast Guard cutter fired one shot at the dhow, but officials didn’t know whether it hit the boat, the statement said. The dhow left the scene without communicating with the American vessel. No injuries were reported.
Monomoy, a 110-foot cutter homeported in Woods Hole, Massachusetts, is operating in the Navy’s Fifth Fleet.
