Iran provocations lead US ship to fire .50 caliber warning shots to chase them off

Fox News:

A U.S. Navy coastal patrol ship fired three warning shots at an Iranian ship that sailed within 200 yards in the Northern Persian Gulf Wednesday after one of four close calls this week involving U.S. and Iranian vessels, a U.S. official confirmed to Fox News on Thursday.

The USS Squall fired the shots, according to the official.

On Tuesday, four Iranian small boats "harassed" the USS Nitze, sailing near the guided missile destroyer in the narrow Strait of Hormuz, a U.S. Navy official told Fox News.

Other close calls this week involved the USS Tempest and USS Squall, Pentagon Press Secretary Peter Cook told reporters Thursday.

The Tempest and Squall were operating in international waters of the northern Arabian Gulf when three Iranian vessels approached at high speed, before proceeding to cross the bow of Tempest within 600 yards on three separate occasions, creating a possible collision hazard, according to the Pentagon.

Later, the Tempest and Squall were harassed by a Naser-class WAP Iranian vessel that passed within 200 yards of the Tempest.

The situation presented a drastically increased risk of collision, according to the Pentagon.

During the encounter, Tempest fired three warning flares while attempting radio communications. The Squall resorted to firing three warning shots from their 50-caliber gun, which caused the Iranian vessel to turn away.

In another incident, the guided missile destroyer USS Stout was operating in northern Arabian Gulf when the same Iranian vessel from the second encounter harassed the Stout by conducting an unsafe intercept, according to the Pentagon.
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The 50-claiber seem to get their attention.  Iran needs to get the message that future harassing of US ships may lead to deadly consequences for the Iranian boats.