US Ship Fires Warning Shots at Iranian Boats in Strait of Hormuz, Says Pentagon

An earlier incident in which an Iranian navy ship crossed the bow of a US patrol boat in the Gulf on April 2, 2021 - AFP
An earlier incident in which an Iranian navy ship crossed the bow of a US patrol boat in the Gulf on April 2, 2021 - AFP
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US Ship Fires Warning Shots at Iranian Boats in Strait of Hormuz, Says Pentagon

An earlier incident in which an Iranian navy ship crossed the bow of a US patrol boat in the Gulf on April 2, 2021 - AFP
An earlier incident in which an Iranian navy ship crossed the bow of a US patrol boat in the Gulf on April 2, 2021 - AFP

A US vessel fired warning shots at more than a dozen Iranian fast attack boats which buzzed close to a US Navy submarine and escort ships in the narrow Strait of Hormuz on Monday, the Pentagon said.

In the second such incident in two weeks, 13 Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Navy boats approached the seven US vessels at high speeds, closing within 150 yards (140 meters) before one of the US vessels fired 30 shots in two volleys, until they moved away, said Pentagon spokesman John Kirby.

"Sadly harassment by the IRGC-N is not a new phenomenon," said Kirby, AFP reported.+

"It's unsafe, it's unprofessional. It's the kind of activity that can lead to somebody getting hurt, and can lead to a real miscalculation there in the region," he said.

"That doesn't serve anybody's interests," Kirby said.

Asked if the US vessels are allowed to fire directly on the Iranian boats and sink them, Kirby declined to describe their rules of engagement.

However, he added, "They have the right of self defense and they know how to use that."

Kirby pointed out that the Iranian actions took place in the Strait of Hormuz, where ships have little room to move.

"It's an international waterway and of course when you're in the strait, there are certain limits to your ability to maneuver," he said.

"It is a choke point in the region. So it's not insignificant that this kind of dangerous, unsafe and unprofessional behavior occurred there."

In late April three Iranian fast inshore attack craft provoked warning shots when they came within 68 yards of two US vessels in international waters in the northern part of the Gulf, according to the US Navy.

And in early April four Revolutionary Guard vessels, three fast attack craft and a large Harth 55 catamaran similarly came close to two US Coast Guard patrol ships, crossing their bows while ignoring warnings.

No shots were fired in that encounter.



Ukraine’s Zelenskiy Says Latest Phone Call with Trump His Most Productive Yet

Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskiy attends a press conference in the garden at Marselisborg Castle on the occasion of Denmark taking over the EU presidency, in Aarhus, Denmark, July 3, 2025. (Henning Bagger/Ritzau Scanpix/via Reuters)
Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskiy attends a press conference in the garden at Marselisborg Castle on the occasion of Denmark taking over the EU presidency, in Aarhus, Denmark, July 3, 2025. (Henning Bagger/Ritzau Scanpix/via Reuters)
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Ukraine’s Zelenskiy Says Latest Phone Call with Trump His Most Productive Yet

Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskiy attends a press conference in the garden at Marselisborg Castle on the occasion of Denmark taking over the EU presidency, in Aarhus, Denmark, July 3, 2025. (Henning Bagger/Ritzau Scanpix/via Reuters)
Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskiy attends a press conference in the garden at Marselisborg Castle on the occasion of Denmark taking over the EU presidency, in Aarhus, Denmark, July 3, 2025. (Henning Bagger/Ritzau Scanpix/via Reuters)

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said on Saturday that his latest conversation with US President Donald Trump this week was the best and "most productive" he has had to date.

"Regarding the conversation with the president of the United States, which took place a day earlier, it was probably the best conversation we have had during this whole time, the most productive," Zelenskiy said in his nightly video address.

"We discussed air defense issues and I'm grateful for the willingness to help. The Patriot system is precisely the key to protection against ballistic threats."

Zelenskiy said the two leaders had discussed "several other important matters" that officials from the two sides would be considering in forthcoming meetings.

Trump told reporters on Friday that he had a good call with Zelenskiy and restated his disappointment at a conversation with Russian President Vladimir Putin over what he said was Moscow's lack of willingness to work toward a ceasefire.

Asked whether the United States would agree to supply more Patriot missiles to Ukraine, as requested by Zelenskiy, Trump said: "They're going to need them for defense... They're going to need something because they're being hit pretty hard."

Russia has intensified air attacks on Kyiv and other cities in recent weeks. Moscow's forces launched the largest drone attack of the 40-month-old war on the Ukrainian capital hours after Trump's conversation with Putin on Thursday.