(CNN)An
Iranian Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps ship acted "unprofessional
but also provocative" while approaching the USS Mahan, an American
destroyer in the Persian Gulf on Monday, according to a US official.
The official said the Iranian vessel had its weapons manned and came within approximately 1,000 yards of the US destroyer.
The Mahan attempted bridge-to-bridge communication with the Iranians but got no response.
The
US destroyer then fired a flare but despite the obvious signs from the
Mahan, the Iranian ship continued on its course, forcing the US ship to
alter direction, the official said.
But he said despite the provocations, the Mahan did not fire any warning shots.
It isn't the first time the US and Iranian navies have seen a tense standoff in the Persian Gulf.
In January, the USS Mahan fired warning shots at Iranian vessels after they came "within 900 yards or so" of the US destroyer, according to Pentagon officials.
US
Defense officials said at the time that despite radio calls, flares,
bells and whistles to signal the Iranian ships to stay away, they had no
effect.
Pentagon spokesman Capt.
Jeff Davis said there had been 35 incidents of unsafe or unprofessional
behavior by Iranian vessels in 2016, although the "vast majority" had
occurred in the first half.
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