US Coast Guard fires 'in self-defense' at Iranian dhow outfitted with machine gun in Gulf
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The U.S. Navy says a Coast Guard vessel has fired in self-defense on an Iranian boat in the Persian Gulf, and that no Americans were wounded in the encounter.
U.S. 5th Fleet spokesman Cmdr. Kevin Stephens said Wednesday the crew on a small boat dispatched from the U.S. Coast Guard patrol boat Monomoy fired a single shot when it saw crew on the Iranian dhow preparing to fire a .50-caliber machine gun.
Stephens says the incident happened in international waters at around 11:30 a.m. local time Tuesday. It was not clear if the shot hit the Iranian vessel or if anyone onboard was injured.
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American, Iranian and other countries' military vessels routinely patrol the Gulf. Dhows are traditional wooden boats that are typically used for trade.