Iran says it fired warning missiles at US destroyers in Gulf of Oman

Iran's military said on Friday it had fired warning missiles and drones at two U.S. destroyers in the Gulf of Oman, forcing the vessels to leave the area. The U.S. military's Central Command quickly denied the incident took place, saying no attack on U.S. Navy warships had occurred. The episode is the latest to strain the fragile ceasefire in place since April 8.

What did Iran claim happened in the Gulf of Oman?

Iran said its forces fired warning missiles and drones at two U.S. guided-missile destroyers, the U.S.S Truxtun and the U.S.S Truxtun, after which the vessels departed toward the Indian Ocean. The operation was carried out in response to what Iran described as maritime harassment and the seizure of commercial vessels and oil tankers by U.S. naval forces.

Did the U.S. confirm Iran fired warning missiles at its warships?

No. U.S. Central Command said Iranian forces did not attack or fire at U.S. Navy warships, calling any such action a gross violation of the ceasefire. It said its forces continued to operate freely in regional waters and were enforcing the U.S. counterblockade on Iranian ports.

How does this incident fit into the wider Iran-U.S. conflict?

The April 8 ceasefire largely halted direct hostilities between Iran, the United States, and Israel following the outbreak of war on February 28, when allied forces struck Iran. Efforts to end the conflict through direct and mediated talks have since failed to produce a lasting agreement. U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on Wednesday that Washington was no longer conducting sustained strikes against Iran, declaring Operation Epic Fury over.

What is the current state of the Strait of Hormuz blockade?

Iran imposed a naval blockade on the Strait of Hormuz at the onset of the war, cutting off the strategic waterway that connects the Gulf with the Indian Ocean. In peacetime, a fifth of the world's oil passed through the chokepoint. The United States subsequently established its own blockade of Iranian ports, creating a parallel maritime standoff that has continued alongside ceasefire negotiations.