US-Iran Navy Standoff

Five Iranian Revolutionary Guard speedboats were thought to have radioed threats to three U.S. Navy ships sailing in international waters in the Strait of Hormuz on January 6, 2008. It is now believed that a heckler known as the "Filipino Monkey," was actually responsible for the provocative radio transmissions.

1. Per U.S. military officials, Iranian radio transmission said "I am coming at you. You will explode in a couple of minutes."
2. Threatening maneuvers toward U.S. ships included dropping white boxes into the water in front of the U.S. ships

• Google News: US-Iran Navy Standoff
• Guardian Unlimited: Mischievous 'Filipino Monkey' could have triggered latest US-Iran row (January 14, 2008)
  • "A heckling radio ham known as the Filipino Monkey, who has spent years pestering ships in the Persian Gulf, is being blamed today for sparking a major diplomatic row after American warships almost attacked Iranian patrol boats."
• BBC News: US doubts over Iran boat 'threat' (January 10, 2008)
• YouTube Video: Iran Video of US Naval Incident (Time 5:20)
• FOX News: Iran Airs Own Video of Boats With U.S. Ships in Persian Gulf, Showing No Standoff Between Vessels (January 10, 2008)
  • Iran aired video Thursday of its boats and U.S. naval ships in the Persian Gulf in an apparent attempt to show that there was no confrontation between the vessels.
• LiveVideo: Iran calls U.S. Navy video fake
• CNN.com: Iran: U.S. faked conflict video (January 9, 2008)
  • Iran has denounced video and audio recordings released by the United States of the two nations' confrontation in the Strait of Hormuz as "fabricated," according to statements carried by state-run television station.
• AFP: Iran says US navy video is fake (January 9, 2008)

• AFP: Pentagon has video, audio of Strait of Hormuz incident (January 8, 2008)

• Associated Press: Bush Chastises Iran on Gulf Intercept (January 8, 2008)
• Washington Post: Iran Plays Down Gulf Incident With US (January 7, 2008)
• Times Online: Iran speedboats 'threatened suicide attack on US' in Strait of Hormuz (January 7, 2008)
  • "A Pentagon official said that US forces were "literally" on the verge of firing on the Iranian boats and had moved to man their guns when the Iranians turned and sped away."
• FOX News: U.S. Boats Take Defensive Action Against Iranian Speedboats (January 7, 2008)
  • ""We urge the Iranians to refrain from such provocative actions that could lead to a dangerous incident in the future," National Security Council spokesman Gordon Johndroe said Monday."
• MSNBC: U.S. says Iranian gunboats harassed warships (January 7, 2008)
  • "Iran... described the incident as a mistake "that takes place every now and then" and that it was resolved."
• BBC: Iran boats 'threatened US ships' (January 7, 2008)
  • "The latest confrontation comes as US President George Bush is to begin a tour of the Middle East on Wednesday."
• USA Today: Iranian boats harassed, provoked U.S. Navy ships (January 7, 2008)
• Forbes: Iranian speedboats harassed US navy vessels in Gulf at weekend - Pentagon (January 7, 2008)
• CNN.com: Iranian ships 'harass' U.S. Navy, officials say (January 7, 2008)
• New York Daily News: Iranian boats 'provoke' U.S. Navy ships (January 7, 2008)