By NNN-KUNA
Tehran : Iranian gunboats patrolling the Gulf had no “confrontation” with a US Navy ship, an Iranian official said on Saturday.
According to the official Islamic Republic News Agency (IRNA), a military source said “Yesterday, Iranian vessels during a routine patrol mission asked questions to the crew of a US Fifth Fleet ship which is a common procedure between our coast guards and the transiting vessels.”
CNN television reported a “confrontation” between Iranian gunboats with the USS Typhoon in the Gulf waters on Thursday.
“There was no irregular engagement between Iranian and the US boats, and the CNN story is surprising,” he added. The source denied the report saying the US vessel was allowed to continue sailing after answering questions from the Iranian coast guards.
“American media are trying to say that the situation in the Persian Gulf is critical in order to set the grounds for a permanent US military presence in the region,” the source said.
Last January, the same media reported a similar engagement in the Strait of Hormuz.