Behavior of Iranian ships in Strait of Hormuz "not acceptable": White House

The behavior of four Iranian vessels that approached a U.S. warship in international waters in the Strait of Hormuz is "not acceptable" and such action could "unnecessarily escalate tensions," the White House said Thursday.

"At this point it's not clear what the intentions of the Iranian ships were, but the behavior is not acceptable, given that this U.S. ship was in international waters," White House spokesperson Josh Earnest told a regular press briefing.

"These types of actions and incidents are concerning, and they have the potential to unnecessarily escalate tensions," he said.

Four Iranian vessels carried out a "high-speed intercept" of a U.S. destroyer on Tuesday around the Strait of Hormuz, U.S. media reported on Wednesday.

Citing a U.S. Navy official who spoke on condition of anonymity, Fox News reported that the United States deemed the incident "unsafe and unprofessional," adding that two of the Iran's Revolutionary Guard Corps vessels came within 300 yards of the USS Nitze.

The USS Nitze, navigating in what the U.S. official described as "international waters" at the time of the incident, was forced to change its course, Fox News reported.

"The United States is not seeking to escalate the already volatile situation in that region of the world," Earnest said. "We don't want anybody else to either." Endit