The Stargazer incident as self-defense

Was the Stargazer incident in Star Trek a scandal?

The response treats it as self-defence against Ferengi described as pirates, although the exchange does not set out a clear sequence of the firing.

The question calls the Stargazer episode a scandal, but several panellists initially do not know what event is meant. The explanation offered describes the Ferengi as pirates who failed to answer a Federation ship's attempts to contact them. It then refers to shooting and calls the encounter self-defence. The brief exchange gives that interpretation without establishing a detailed chronology of who fired first.