Iran Navy Fires Shots at Tanker as Tensions Rise in Gulf

Iranian naval vessels fired shots at a Singapore-flagged tanker in the Gulf on Thursday, in what appeared to be Iran's latest attempt to settle a legal dispute by force with passing commercial vessels, U.S. officials said. The incident unnerved the shipping industry just as President Barack Obama met with Gulf allies to try to allay their concerns that Iran would be empowered by a deal to curb Tehran's nuclear program in exchange for the West lifting sanctions. One U.S. official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said Iran had attempted to intercept the vessel in international waters because Tehran says the tanker is liable for damage to an Iranian-owned oil platform it hit on March 22. The White House, Pentagon and State Department declined to confirm emerging details about the episode but acknowledged concern about Iran's conduct."This is exactly the type of challenge that many of the (Gulf) partners are focused on," said White House Deputy National Security Adviser Ben Rhodes.