Iran Playing With Fire in the Gulf

This is yet another attempt by the Iranians to probe US resolve in the Persian Gulf. They sent a pair of their speed boats to encounter a US military sealift command ship, and when the boats failed to heed warnings or announce their intentions, the security team on board opened fire.

A vessel contracted by the Navy in the Persian Gulf fired warning shots Thursday on two Iranian fast boats, FOX News has learned.

The Iranian Navy countered U.S. defense officials claims Friday, saying on Iranian television station Alalam that they didn't have a confrontation with a U.S. ship and that the ship, the Westward Venture, may have fired on a non-Iranian vessel, Reuters reports.

The U.S. ship is contracted by the U.S. Military Sealift Command to carry military cargo to Kuwait. It fired upon the boats Thursday after attempts to get Iranian boats' attention failed, defense officials told FOX News.

A Navy security team, armed with M16 rifles and .50-caliber machine guns, was onboard the Westward Venture at the time the warning shots were fired.

The ship was about 50 miles off the coast of Iran when the fast boats approached. The Westward Venture attempted to make bridge-to-bridge contact to warn the fast boats that they were too close.

The Military Sealift Command vessel then blew its whistle and fired flares before finally firing warning shots with the machine gun when the boats came within 100 yards of the vessel.