Iran says it warned off US ship, Navy denies it

Dubai: Iran says it warned off a US Navy warship during a rescue of a boat in the Gulf of Oman, while American officials say there was no direct contact.

The US Navy said today the incident happened Wednesday and involved a small vessel some 75 nautical miles from the USS Tempest, a coastal patrol boat.

The Navy says another boat much closer offered assistance, with that vessel communicating with Iranian naval forces.

Iran offered a different version of the incident. Press TV, the English-language arm of its state broadcaster, said today that the Iranian navy "warned off an American warship" while rescuing the stranded dhow, a traditional ship.

The US and Iran routinely have tense encounters in the Persian Gulf.