A ship contracted by the US military has fired warning shots toward two boats in the Gulf.
According to US defence officials, the Westward Venture cargo ship chartered by the US Defense Department was travelling in international waters when two small boats approached on Thursday.
After the boats failed to respond to radio queries and a warning flare, the cargo ship's security team fired "a few bursts" of machine gun and rifle warning shots, according to a spokeswoman for the US Navy.
"The small boats left the area a short time later," she added.
US officials initially said they suspected the boats were Iranian but have since backed away from that charge, saying they had no proof of identity for the vessels.
An Iranian navy source denied that any confrontation had occurred with a US ship in the Gulf.
The United States in January said Iranian boats threatened its warships on January 6th along a vital route for crude oil shipments.