Iranian boats engaged in a “mild” and “taunting” confrontation with a US warship in the Gulf, CNN television reported Friday.

Late Thursday the three small Iranian boats approached the U.S.S. Typhoon, the report said.

“One of those Iranian boats coming within 200 yards of the navy boat,” CNN reported, “leading the crew onboard the ’Typhoon’ to fire a warning flare.”

A spokesman for the US Fifth Fleet said “Typhoon issued the standard query to the incoming small boats and upon receiving no response, Typhoon activated a flare. Small boats stopped, and Typhoon continued on its way”.