The USS Squall, based at Joint Expeditionary Base Little Creek, was operating with the Bahrain-based coastal patrol ship USS Tempest when they were twice harassed by Iranian vessels, Urban said.
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At one point, the Iranian boat came within 200 yards of one of the US Navy boats.
The USS Nitze fired 10 warning flares and blew its whistles at the Iranian vessels but got no response.
Seen from USS Nitze, four Iranian Naval Revolutionary Guards vessels make a high-speed approach as the U.S. destroyer was transiting the Strait of Hormuz Tuesday.
The incidents involving the Iranian ships and parts of the U.S. Navy’s 5th Fleet spanned multiple days.
A day after four Iranian boats harassed a destroyer in the Persian Gulf, a similar squad of vessels came after three more U.S. ships on Wednesday, according to a U.S. Navy spokesman. On Tuesday, four Revolutionary Guard boats came within 300 yards of the USS Nitze, a guided-missile destroyer.
In July, Iranian ships sailed close to USS New Orleans while Gen. Joseph Votel, commander of Central Command, was aboard.
He also recalled the brief detention of 10 U.S. Navy sailors in January this year who mistakenly steered into Iranian waters. He described the Iranian actions as “unsafe and unprofessional”. He said the US ships are conducting themselves in a safe and professional manner and they will continue to take whatever steps they need to protect themselves. The sailors were released soon after.
The White House has expressed concern after several close encounters between Iranian vessels and USA warships in the Persian Gulf this week. Iran broadcast the sailor’s detentions on television, including video of a Navy Lt. apologizing on camera, in violation of US military regulations. Flares were fired after two of the boats ignored warnings to change course.
Iranian Defense Minister Hossein Dehghan said Thursday that the ships had only been carrying out their regular duties monitoring foreign ships near Iranian waters.
Those encounters followed an incident August 24 in which four Iranian fast attack craft approached the Arleigh Burke-class DDG USS Nitze at high speeds during a routine transit of the narrow Strait of Hormuz into the Persian Gulf.
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Chief of Naval Operations Adm. John Richardson told the Associated Press that the incident with Nitze raised questions about what is the new normal in the volatile relationship with Iran.
