The U.S. Navy reported Monday, June 5, that sailors came to the aid of a merchant ship the Navy said was being harassed by Iran Revolutionary Guard vessels. The United Kingdom Royal Navy also came to the ship’s aid.

The incident happened in the Strait of Hormuz, located off Iran’s southern coast. According to the U.S. Navy, three Iranian fast-attack vessels with armed troops aboard approached the merchant ship on Sunday, June 4. That’s when the U.S. and U.K. navies stepped in.

“The situation deescalated approximately an hour later when the merchant vessel confirmed the fast-attack craft departed the scene,” the U.S. Navy said in a statement. “The merchant ship continued transiting the Strait of Hormuz without further incident.”

An Iranian official said the vessels were simply responding to a distress signal coming from the merchant ship. However, the signal came because of the armed men spotted on the Iranian vessels.

The incident with the merchant ship came as Iran’s navy commander announced plans to form a new naval alliance in the region. The alliance would include:

• Saudi Arabia.
• India.
• Pakistan.
• The United Arab Emirates.
• Bahrain.
• Qatar.
• Iraq.

Iran has recently been trying to mend ties with some of its neighboring countries. In March, Saudi Arabia and Iran ended seven years of hostility. The deal was mediated by China, whose navy the U.S. has also had issues with.

“The US made provocations first and the Chinese side only responded by handling the incident in accordance with relevant laws and regulations,” Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin said regarding a recent incident involving the U.S. in the Taiwan Strait. “The actions taken by the Chinese military are necessary steps in response to the provocations by the country concerned. These actions are completely justified, lawful, safe and professional. China is firmly against the relevant country stirring up troubles in the Taiwan Strait and is firmly determined to defend its sovereignty and security and regional peace and stability.”