Iran Claims US Navy Video Was 'Fabricated'

No explanation of how or why

By Lucas Laursen, Newser Staff

Posted Jan 9, 2008 7:34 AM CST

(Newser) – A video of a tense encounter between US Navy ships and Iranian speedboats is a fake, Iran claims. "The footage released by the US Navy was compiled using file pictures and the audio has been fabricated," an unnamed official in the Revolutionary Guards tells the state-run Press TV. On the video, a voice can be heard threatening the US sailors, and the Iranians are warned several times they risk being fired upon.

A voice from one of the speedboats is heard saying, "I am coming at you. You will explode after a few minutes." The Iranian boats, which did not identify themselves to the US ships despite repeated radio calls and horns, finally turned away when the ships prepared to fire on them, according to the Navy. In the video, the speedboats appear to get within about 200 meters of the ships.

[Images (5)]

[Videos (1)]

In this photo released by the U.S. Navy, The guided missile cruiser USS Port Royal (CG 73) is seen underway in November 2003. An Iranian fleet of high-speed boats charged at and threatened to blow up... (Associated Press)

This image made from video released by the US Navy Tuesday, Jan. 8, 2008, and shot Sunday, Jan. 6 from the bridge of the destroyer USS Hopper, shows speedboats, alleged to be Iranian, purportedly racing... (Associated Press)

This image released by the US Navy Tuesday, Jan. 8, 2008, and shot Sunday, Jan. 6 from the bridge of the destroyer USS Hopper, shows a small blue boat, alleged to be Iranian, purportedly racing near the... (Associated Press)

This image released by the US Navy Tuesday, Jan. 8, 2008, and shot Sunday, Jan. 6 from the bridge of the destroyer USS Hopper, shows a helicopter hovering as a small blue boat, alleged to be Iranian,... (Associated Press)

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Iran Claims US Navy Video Was 'Fabricated'