USNS Rappahannock, US military ship, fires on boat in Persian Gulf, killing 1
A US Navy Ocean Tug ship and a helicopter of the Bahrain-based Fifth Fleet participate in a crisis response exercise in a port in the capital Manama. US military supply ship USNS Rappahannock fired on a small boat when it ignored warnings and came too close on July 16, 2012. At least one Indian national was killed.
A US military supply ship in the Persian Gulf fired on a small boat that ignored warnings on Monday, killing one person on board, according to US officials.
Tarek al-Hedan, an aide to the foreign minister for political affairs in the United Arab Emirates, said, "The firing has led to the death of one Indian national and serious injury of three Indian nationals," according to Al Jazeera.
CNN said the incident happened near the Dubai port of Jebel Ali in the UAE.
In a statement, the Navy said, "In accordance with Navy force protection procedures, the sailors on the USNS Rappahannock … used a series of non-lethal, preplanned responses to warn the vessel before resorting to lethal force," according to CNN.
The Navy told Al Jazeera that the crew of the USNS Rappahannock tried to hail the boat on radio and loudspeaker, and also used flashing lights and warning shots before firing a .50-caliber machine gun at the vessel.
A spokesperson for the Navy's 5th Fleet confirmed to ABC News that one person was killed and three others were injured onboard.
A Navy official initially said the vessel was a white pleasure craft, while a UAE official said it appeared to be a fishing boat.
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According to Iran's state-owned Press TV, the boat appeared to be a civilian vessel, about 30-feet long, similar to boats in the region that are used for fishing.
Press TV noted, "US military vessels routinely cross paths with Iranian ships in international waters in the Persian Gulf without incident, but speed boats from Iran's Revolutionary Guard have passed close to US ships in incidents that have raised alarm in Washington."
The Navy official who spoke to ABC News said, "I can't emphasize enough that this has nothing to do with Iran."
Tensions have been high in the Persian Gulf since Iran threatened to block the Strait of Hormuz, a key shipping route for a majority of the world's oil supply.