A U.S. Navy ship fired "disabling shots" at a small vessel that came too close to it in the Persian Gulf region, killing one and injuring three, officials told Fox News.

The incident happened Monday within maritime borders of the United Arab Emirates near Jebel Ali, a port town 35 kilometers southwest of Dubai. The town is near the Strait of Hormuz, a key regional oil route that Iran has repeatedly threatened to block over sanctions against its nuclear program.

The USNS Rappahannock fired shots from a .50 caliber machine gun because the operator of the small boat, whose nationality is unknown, ignored audible and visual signals to move away, two senior U.S. defense officials told Fox News.

The Rappahannock is a large, civilian operated oil tanker that fuels other Navy ships at sea.

After the firing, dozens of police and other Emirati officials crowded around the white-hulled boat, which sat docked in a small Dubai port used by fishermen and sailors.