I can share what’s publicly known up to now, but I don’t have live access to the latest updates in this turn.
Answer
- There have been multiple past incidents where US Navy ships fired warning shots or engaged Iranian vessels in the Persian Gulf and Strait of Hormuz, including notable events in 2016-2017 and again in 2026 during heightened tensions and near-blockade actions. These episodes typically involved warning shots or disabling measures after Iranian boats approached too closely or did not respond to radio and visual signals.[1][2][7]
Key context
- In several cases, the U.S. military cited unsafe interactions at sea and non-compliance with international maritime rules of the road as the basis for using forceful warnings or disabling actions to de-escalate potential collisions.[7][1]
- Recent reporting around April 2026 described U.S. actions such as seizing an Iranian-flagged vessel near the Strait of Hormuz and firing to disable its propulsion, prompting Iranian threats of retaliation and signaling a volatile period in U.S.-Iran maritime confrontations.[2][3][4]
- The headline pattern in these episodes is escalation followed by diplomatic/communications efforts, with the U.S. asserting blockade enforcement or security interests and Iran warning of swift responses or continuing hardline positions.[3][2]
Illustrative example
- The 2017 incident near the Gulf where a U.S. ship fired warning shots after an IRGC vessel approached within a dangerous range and ignored warnings is a commonly cited case of this dynamic.[1][7]
Would you like me to pull the very latest, region-specific updates from reliable outlets and summarize them with citations? I can also provide a brief timeline of notable incidents in the last decade if that would help.
Sources
In the latest incident of high-seas tension between the U.S. and Iran, a Navy guided-missile destroyer fired a series of warning shots at four Iranian vessels after the Islamic Republic's boats closed in at a high rate of speed in the Strait of Hormuz, Fox News confirmed on Monday.
www.foxnews.comThis is the latest encounter between the U.S. Navy and Iran.
abcnews.go.comThe USS Thunderbolt was approached by an Iranian vessel in the Gulf, US officials say.
www.bbc.comIran's Revolutionary Guards accused the Americans of "provocation and intimidation" after the US fired warning shots at its vessel after reportedly failing to respond to radio warnings and flares.
www.newarab.comThe Iranians opened fire on one of the tankers. None of the ship’s crew were injured.
taskandpurpose.comPresident Donald Trump says the U.S. seized an Iranian-flagged cargo ship that tried to get around its naval blockade near the Strait of Hormuz. Iranian military slammed Sunday's seizure and vowed a swift response. It's the first such interception since the blockade of Iranian ports began last week. Trump said a U.S. Navy guided missile destroyer in the Gulf of Oman “stopped them right in their tracks by blowing a hole in the engineroom” and that U.S. Marines were seeing what's on board the...
www.ajc.comAn Iranian vessel sailed too close to the USS Abraham Lincoln aircraft carrier, and the U.S. fired at the vessel, according to two U.S. officials.
www.cbsnews.com