“I think the point that that shows is this was a very provocative act by the Iranians, and it could have — and came very close to — resulting in an altercation between our forces and their forces,” National Security Advisor Stephen Hadley told reporters.
“And it’s a warning to them: They’ve got to be very careful about this, because if it happens again, they are going to bear the consequences of that incident,” he said.
“And we think the Iranians need to be on notice that they are fishing in troubled waters here.
“This is not — this is a provocative act, not a smart thing to do, and they’re going to have to take responsibility for the consequences if they do it again.”
Hadley was speaking aboard Air Force One as it brought US President George W. Bush to Israel at the start of a visit to the region in which the US leader is expected to rally support from his allies to confront the Iranian “threat.”
