One person is dead and three others wounded in a maritime incident that has all the hallmarks of a misunderstanding.
That much we know.
But until a full investigation determines why the USNS Rappahannock opened fire on a UAE fishing boat in the Arabian Gulf near Dubai on Monday, there will be more questions than definitive answers. The personal tragedy involved means that the United States owes a full explanation not only to the UAE, but also to India, because it was an Indian national who was killed.
And because the incident happened so close to the Strait of Hormuz, the most politicised waterway in the world, it has received considerable attention and will have major implications for regional maritime traffic.
Both the UAE and the US are conducting investigations. It is in everyone's interest to have a clear reckoning of events to reassure all sides and to prevent similar incidents in the future. The family of the slain man and the other men who were injured must be compensated.
The investigation must also identify where mistakes were made on both sides. Did the USNS Rappahannock follow correct procedures and, indeed, do those procedures offer sufficient safeguards? Did the fishing boat operate as it should in proximity to a warship? The second question also reinforces the need to educate captains and boaters about how to behave in the vicinity of military craft.
Repeated threats by Iran to close the Strait of Hormuz, and growing tensions over Iran's nuclear programme and western sanctions have put everyone on guard in the region. This incident underscores how events - even a mistake like this incident - can have serious geostrategic consequences.
So it is incumbent for all sides to proceed with care. Neither governments nor observers benefit from knee-jerk reactions or paranoid speculation. The apparent error in USNS Rappahannock'suse of lethal force argues for even more caution.
For its part, Iran's response was typically unhelpful, with its foreign ministry yesterday playing up the "threat" of foreign forces. This is an old tune that invariably drowns out the incontrovertible fact that the stand-off in Gulf waters stems from fears over Iran's nuclear programme and its threats to regional security.
The UAE-US security relationship is fundamental to both countries, and this unfortunate incident will not disrupt that arrangement. But the latent tension in regional waters is unlikely to ease any time soon. The US military is continuing its military build-up in the region. This is meant to build overwhelming force, in the unlikely event of conflict, but is also meant to influence Iran to be more open in its nuclear programme. Until that happens, the Arabian Gulf will only see further military hardware moving around.
By the nature of the assymetric naval threat, US ships will be wary of small craft that might pose a threat, as the US Navy learnt from the attack on the USS Cole in Yemen in 2000.
At the same time, Gulf traffic includes legions of small craft including fishing boats, traders and recreational yachts. Crew on all of these vessels need to be informed about how to safely navigate these waters. Just as importantly, the US Navy must review its rules of engagement to ensure that this type of incident does not happen again.
