US Files Formal Protest to Iran Over Ship Incident

The US sent a formal diplomatic complaint to Iran today over what it calls the "provocative" harassment of American ships by Iranian speedboats, the AP reports. Iran, meanwhile, released its own video of the encounter in the Persian Gulf, which it says backs up its contention that the US is lying. A Pentagon spokesman dismissed  that claim today.

It's unclear what impact the US complaint will have, but the incident has added to the growing strain between the two governments. President Bush has warned of "serious consequences" if it happens again. An Iranian naval officer says the Bush administration made the whole thing up because it "is in need of such media fuss in order to reach its specific political goals.” (More Strait of Hormuz stories.)