IRAN SAYS IT WARNED OFF US SHIP, NAVY DENIES IT

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) Sept. 10 -- Iran says it warned off a U.S. Navy warship during a rescue of a boat in the Gulf of Oman, while American officials say there was no direct contact.
The U.S. Navy said Sunday 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 Sunday that the Iranian navy 'warned off an American warship' while rescuing the stranded dhow, a traditional ship.
The U.S. and Iran routinely have tense encounters in the Persian Gulf.