A United States ship has fired at a 50-foot fishing boat moving toward it, killing one person and wounding three others at the coast of the United Arab Emirates.
A 677-foot United States Navy Rappahannock refueling ship in the Persian Gulf has opened fire with a .50-caliber machine gun on what appeared to be a 30-foot sport fishing boat after it ignored repeated warnings to stop, killing a crew member and causing a spike in oil prices that reflected the heightened tensions in the region between Iran and the United States.
The United States Fifth Fleet command in Bahrain officially said in a statement that the shooting took place near the coast of the United Arab Emirates, a close American ally. The statement did not specify whether there were casualties or identify the nationality of the smaller vessel. But an American defense has confirmed that 1 person was dead, and the official news agency of the United Arab Emirates identified the victim as an Indian fisherman. At least 3 other Indians aboard were wounded.
The incident highlighted the rising tensions between the United States and Iran over the narrow strait, a choke point for much of the world’s oil shipments from the Middle East. Navy sails are on special alert for small craft, which Iran has used to shadow and sometimes harass vessels in the Gulf, and have permission to use lethal force to halt boats that draw too close.
The United States officials has told the fishermen ignored warnings by radio, loudspeakers and flashing lights before the Navy security team has opened fire. In addition to the 4 casualties. Two of them were Indian citizens, two other people aboard the boat from the United Arab Emirates were not injured.
The American Fifth Fleet said the encounter happened near the Emirates port of Jebel Ali, a docking point for American naval ships about thirty miles southwest of Dubai.
The news of the shooting a small boat by the US navy ships, along with reports over the weekend that Iran planned to increase its military presence around the Strait of Hormuz, a vital oil transit route at the Persian Gulf’s entrance, lifted international oil benchmark prices by as much as two dollars a barrel.
The American Rappahannock ship was heading into Jebel Ali when crew members saw the smaller boat heading toward it from about 1,200 yards away. A civilian crew sails the Rappahannock, but a Navy security team is aboard to protect the ship. A Navy statement said the US crew repeatedly attempted to warn the vessel’s operators to turn away from their deliberate approach.
‘ In accordance with Navy force protection procedures, the sailors on the USNS Rappahannock used a series of nonlethal, preplanned responses to warn the vessel before resorting to lethal force. The United States 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 ‘.
The officials, who would not be identified because of the sensitivity of the situation, also described the small boat as having made a series of maneuvers, but emphasized they were waiting for more details about what exactly happened.
US authorities are still investigating the incident. And a UAE source said the Emirates’ government would follow up after a review.
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