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WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The intention of four Iranian vessels that approached a U.S. warship in international waters in the Strait of Hormuz this week were not clear, but such actions can escalate tensions, the White House said on Thursday.

“At this point, it’s not clear what the intentions of the Iranian ships were, but the behavior is not acceptable, given that this U.S. ship was in international waters,” White House spokesman Josh Earnest said at a news briefing. “These types of actions and incidents are concerning and they have the potential to unnecessarily escalate tensions.”