CLOSE CALL

Armed Iranian Boats Approached U.S. Ship

In the Strait of Hormuz.

Military ships from Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps reportedly veered dangerously close to U.S. warships Monday in the Strait of Hormuz. It’s the latest in a series of close calls, said Gen. Joe Votel. “What concerns me is our people don’t always have a lot of time to deal with those interactions,” he said. “It’s measured in minutes to really have the opportunity to make the right decision.” The incident Monday is reported to have involved a series of encounters: Five Iranian boats, including one equipped with a .50 caliber machine gun and a rocket launcher, came within hundreds of yards of the U.S. vessel.