The United States flatly dismissed on Wednesday the claim by Iran that the video and audio released by the Pentagon showing Iranian boats confronting US warships in the Persian Gulf were fabricated.

 

"That's just ridiculous. I completely dismiss that," State Department spokesman Sean McCormack said at a briefing.

 

"You know, maybe they're embarrassed by what these individuals do ... I can't account for it, but it's a ridiculous claim," McCormack said.

 

According to media reports, an official in Iran's Revolutionary Guards told the state-run English-language channel Press TV: "The footage released by the U.S. Navy was compiled using file pictures and the audio has been fabricated."

 

The United States said Monday that five Iranian boats had harassed and threatened three U.S. Navy warships in international waters in the Strait of Hormuz. However, Iran has played down the incident as "something normal."

 

On Monday, the Pentagon confirmed the event and Washington immediately warned Iran to refrain from taking "provocative actions that could lead to a dangerous incident in the future."

 

But Iran responded by calling the incident "something normal" and said the incident has been resolved.

 

(Xinhua News Agency January 10, 2008)