Press TV - The United States Navy is claiming that 11 Iranian ships repeatedly came close to its military vessels in “dangerous and harassing approaches” in the Persian Gulf.

The US Naval central command made the allegation in a statement on Wednesday.

It alleged that the Iranian “vessels repeatedly crossed the bows and sterns of the US vessels at extremely close range and high speeds,” and came within 10 yards of the US Coast Guard cutter Maui.

Tehran has not yet responded to the allegations but American ships are known for repeatedly violating Iran's sovereignty.

“The US crews issued multiple warnings via bridge-to-bridge radio, five short blasts from the ships' horns and long range acoustic noise maker devices, but received no response,” claimed the statement, adding that, “dangerous and provocative actions increased the risk of miscalculation and collision, [and] were not in accordance with the internationally recognized Convention on the International Regulations for Preventing Collisions at Sea.”

Tehran has been a staunch critic of US imperialist adventurism in the Persian Gulf and the rest of the world.

Iran has time and again asserted that it will stand ready to defend its regional interests in the face of US aggression.