Iran has released a video which is claimed to show that its boats did not threaten US navy vessels in the Strait of Hormuz, as has been claimed by the Americans.
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The confrontation at the weekend in the strategically vital Gulf waterway was described by President George W Bush as a "provocative act".

A Pentagon spokesman had said that five Iranian Revolutionary Guard Navy boats harassed and provoked three US ships, giving a radio warning saying: "I am coming at you. You will explode in a couple of minutes."

The Americans said the Iranian boats came within 200 yards of the US vessels, which were sailing in international waters.

The Pentagon released its own video which it claimed backed up their claims.

But the new video, broadcast by Iran's Press TV satellite station, gives a completely different version of the incident.

Press TV said the video, released by Iran's Revolutionary Guards a day after the force dismissed the Pentagon video as fake, included a recording of what it said was the exchange between the two sides.

Guards Brigadier General Ali Fadavi said Iran's boats had only approached the US ships to examine the registration numbers as they had been unreadable, Press TV said.

The video showed an Iranian naval officer on a small boat speaking via radio to a ship which can not be clearly identified. A total of three ships can be seen on the video.

The Iranian officer says: "Coalition warship 73 this Iranian navy patrol boat".

"This is coalition warship 73. I read you loud and clear," the person replied in what appears to be an American accent.

The Iranian officer then appears to ask for the ships to identify themselves, although not all his words can be understood:

"Coalition warship 73 this Iranian navy patrol boat, request side number ... operating in the area this time," the Iranian voice says.

Gen Fadavi, describing the Iranian action as normal inspections of vessels, accused the United States of creating a "media fuss", according to Iran's Fars news agency.

"The governing system of America, at the time of Bush's failed trip to the region, is in need of such media fuss in order to reach its specific political goals," he said.

In contrast, the Pentagon video included a voice from a US ship informing one of the small craft that it was "straying into danger and may be subject to defensive measures".

President Bush has warned Iran of "serious consequences" if it attacked US ships in the Gulf and reiterated his country's strategic position towards the Islamic Republic by stressing that "all options are on the table".

The incident is the latest sign of tension between Washington and Teheran. It coincides with Mr Bush's visit to the Middle East this week.