USNS Rappahannock Fires on Ship in Persian Gulf Near Iranian Territorial Waters

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U.S. officials are reporting that the U.S. Military fuel supply ship USNS Rappahannock has fired on a small vessel in the Persian Gulf after the boat came too close to the fuel tanker. Reports indicate that their was one death as a result of the incidence.

Crew of the Rappahannock verbally warned the smaller boat to alter course at a distance of about 1,200 yards, issuing one warning shot. The vessel continued course and the decision was made to fire shots to disable the boat.
The small boat appeared to be headed for that port, the officials said, adding that their information was preliminary. The U.S. ship verbally warned the smaller boat when it was 1,200 yards away and fired at least one warning shot before the decision was made to fire shots to disable the boat, the officials said.

According to Navy Officials:

“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. The U.S. crew repeatedly attempted to warn the vessel’s operators to turn away from their deliberate approach. When those efforts failed to deter the approaching vessel, the security team on the Rappahannock fired rounds from a .50-caliber machine gun.”

Officials stated that the crew followed standard protocol for the situation. The incident is under investigation.

This breaking story was brought to our attention first by AlertsUSA.