Saudi Arabia says it forced three Iranian boats out of its waters

Saudi officials fired warning shots at boats

A Saudi border guard watches off the coast of the Red Sea on Saudi Arabia's border with Yemen, near Jizan. Reuters

Saudi Arabia forced three Iranian boats out of its waters after firing warning shots at them, the kingdom’s border guards said on Saturday.

A border guard spokesman told the Saudi Press Agency that the three vessels were detected in the kingdom's waters on Thursday.

They were immediately followed and Saudi forces repeatedly warned them to stop, but they refused to respond.

The border guards fired warning shots, forcing the Iranian boats to retreat.

In recent months, there have been several incidents involving aggressive Iranian ships in the region.

Last year, there was a series of attacks in the Strait of Hormuz and elsewhere in the Gulf.

Iranian media reports claimed that the three were fishing boats.