TEHRAN, Sept. 10 (Xinhua) -- An Iranian missile boat warned off a U.S. warship approaching Iran's dhow in the Sea of Oman, the navy of the Islamic republic said in a statement on Sunday, Press TV reported.
"The dhow, Shams (Sun), had set sail from the port city of Jask in southeastern Iran to test its engine. Forty-five miles (72 kilometers) into the sea, the vessel's engine started to malfunction, and its sailors informed the Iranian navy of the incident," the statement said.
The navy dispatched Falakhan (Sling) missile boat to the vessel's rescue, which towed the broken-down dhow to the port, but before that a U.S. destroyer was seen approaching the dhow, it said.
The U.S. warship left the area with a warning of the Falakhan missile boat, the statement read.
The U.S. navy and Iran's speed boats have so far had several encounters in the Persian Gulf, but nothing serious has followed.
On Aug. 24, On Monday, the U.S. Naval Forces Central Command said an Iranian drone came within 300 meters of the USS Nimitz which was in international waters in the Persian Gulf.
Besides, a U.S. navy official said that the USS Thunderbolt fired warning shots at an Iranian patrol boat in the Persian Gulf, as it came within 150 yards (about 137 meters) in the northern end of the Persian Gulf.
