Confronted by an unidentified speedboat powering straight towards them, this is the dramatic moment the crew of a Royal Navy warship fear they are under attack from Iranian suicide bombers.
Sailors on HMS Iron Duke rush to action stations and train their machineguns on the unmarked vessel as it maintains its menacing course in the Persian Gulf.
Concerned the small boat is packed with lethal explosives, British troops hold their nerve until it is just 300ft away - and rattle off two fearsome bursts of gunfire.
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The bullets are not aimed directly at the speedboat. But the show of deadly force is sufficient to deter the craft, which veers away at the last moment and flees.
But the incident highlights the dangers faced by Navy warships patrolling one of the world’s most volatile waterways.
The threat of suicide attacks at sea was demonstrated in October 2000 when the 8,600-tonne USS Cole was hit by terrorists in a speedboat in Aden, killing 17 American sailors.
The confrontation involving HMS Iron Duke fuelled concerns about simmering tensions in the Gulf - and the nightmare scenario of hostilities breaking out accidentally between Iran and the West because of a small clash getting out of hand.
The incident took place in April but has only just come to light. The dramatic footage shows a speedboat crewed by at least two men powering parallel to the 4,900-tonne warship as it patrolled off the coast of Bahrain.
The ship's horns blared out loudly, warning the speedboat to move away.
But suddenly the small craft turns to the right and aims directly at the frigate.
Alarmed by the apparently threatening manoeuvre, a commander can be heard calmly ordering crewmen manning a powerful general-purpose machinegun to fire 'two barrels 100 yards to the left of the vessel'.
On the word 'Engage', two short bursts of bullets ring out. The rounds send up small plumes of water as they strike the sea.
Fearful of their lives, the men in the speedboat duck and stop. One raises his hand and waves at the British sailors before speeding away.
The film footage was obtained by a U.S. news website.
The nationality of the speedboat involved in the confrontation is unknown because it flew no flag and did not make radio contact.
Sources have suggested it might have been piloted by Bahraini fishermen.
But military experts said it had 'all the appearances' of previous incidents when the Iranian Revolutionary Guard has used boats and planes to buzz Western warships to provoke a response.
In one of the most serious recent incidents, five Iranian patrol boats buzzed within 600ft ofthree U.S. 5th Fleet warships as they passed through the Strait of Hormuz in January 2008.
The patrol boats dropped suspicious-looking packages into the water and transmitted the threat: 'I am coming at you. You will explode in a couple of minutes.'
As the U.S. warships prepared to open fire the Iranian speedboats pulled back out of international waters before the incident could escalate.
A Royal Navy insider said the Iron Duke had handled the situation correctly and professionally. The 185-man crew will have practised repeatedly how to deal with an unidentified vessel that could be a threat to the British anti-submarine ship.
The naval officer said: 'Whenever ships deploy to the Gulf there is a risk they will be threatened. The attack on the U.S.S. Cole shows the terrible consequences of small boats being used in suicide attacks.
'Quick small boats can be so lethal because they are not as easy to see on radar so they can potentially get closer. That's why our crews are drilled in the procedures of how to handle the threat.
'Faced with a possible threat from the speedboat, they did exactly the right thing to take the heat out of the situation.'
An MoD spokesman said: 'An unidentified small vessel made an unusually close approach at speed to HMS Iron Duke.
'In accordance with standard operating procedures, HMS Iron Duke took a series of escalatory preventative measures which resulted in warning shots being fired.
'The situation was resolved and both vessels went safely on their way.'
Tensions between the West and Iran have steadily deteriorated as Tehran stubbornly pursues a nuclear programme in the face of protests from the international community, and caches of Iranian-made weapons have been seized from insurgents in Afghanistan.
Sailors on HMS Iron Duke rush to action stations and train their machineguns on the unmarked vessel as it maintains its menacing course in the Persian Gulf.
Concerned the small boat is packed with lethal explosives, British troops hold their nerve until it is just 300ft away - and rattle off two fearsome bursts of gunfire.
SCROLL DOWN FOR VIDEO
Danger: The Royal Navy gunner watches the boat on a suicide mission as it approaches
Spray: The boat swings around towards the HMS Iron Duke so they open fire with the bullets shown spitting up sea water
But the incident highlights the dangers faced by Navy warships patrolling one of the world’s most volatile waterways.
The threat of suicide attacks at sea was demonstrated in October 2000 when the 8,600-tonne USS Cole was hit by terrorists in a speedboat in Aden, killing 17 American sailors.
The confrontation involving HMS Iron Duke fuelled concerns about simmering tensions in the Gulf - and the nightmare scenario of hostilities breaking out accidentally between Iran and the West because of a small clash getting out of hand.
Aborted: The two men on board swing away from their target after the warning shots
The ship's horns blared out loudly, warning the speedboat to move away.
But suddenly the small craft turns to the right and aims directly at the frigate.
Alarmed by the apparently threatening manoeuvre, a commander can be heard calmly ordering crewmen manning a powerful general-purpose machinegun to fire 'two barrels 100 yards to the left of the vessel'.
A member of the crew ready for more action watches on as the boat tries to get away afterwards
Fearful of their lives, the men in the speedboat duck and stop. One raises his hand and waves at the British sailors before speeding away.
The film footage was obtained by a U.S. news website.
The nationality of the speedboat involved in the confrontation is unknown because it flew no flag and did not make radio contact.
Steadfast: The crew of HMS Iron Duke (pictured) were found to have been correct to fire on the small boat
But military experts said it had 'all the appearances' of previous incidents when the Iranian Revolutionary Guard has used boats and planes to buzz Western warships to provoke a response.
In one of the most serious recent incidents, five Iranian patrol boats buzzed within 600ft ofthree U.S. 5th Fleet warships as they passed through the Strait of Hormuz in January 2008.
The patrol boats dropped suspicious-looking packages into the water and transmitted the threat: 'I am coming at you. You will explode in a couple of minutes.'
Target: The port side of the guided missile destroyer USS Cole (pictured) was damaged after being hit with a terrorist bomb in the port of Aden in Yemen 11 years ago
Tragedy: The bombing killed 17 and injured 36 others
A Royal Navy insider said the Iron Duke had handled the situation correctly and professionally. The 185-man crew will have practised repeatedly how to deal with an unidentified vessel that could be a threat to the British anti-submarine ship.
The naval officer said: 'Whenever ships deploy to the Gulf there is a risk they will be threatened. The attack on the U.S.S. Cole shows the terrible consequences of small boats being used in suicide attacks.
'Quick small boats can be so lethal because they are not as easy to see on radar so they can potentially get closer. That's why our crews are drilled in the procedures of how to handle the threat.
'Faced with a possible threat from the speedboat, they did exactly the right thing to take the heat out of the situation.'
An MoD spokesman said: 'An unidentified small vessel made an unusually close approach at speed to HMS Iron Duke.
'In accordance with standard operating procedures, HMS Iron Duke took a series of escalatory preventative measures which resulted in warning shots being fired.
'The situation was resolved and both vessels went safely on their way.'
Tensions between the West and Iran have steadily deteriorated as Tehran stubbornly pursues a nuclear programme in the face of protests from the international community, and caches of Iranian-made weapons have been seized from insurgents in Afghanistan.
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