CENTCOM Denies Iranian Claims of Forcing US Warships to Retreat in Gulf of Oman
Tehran claimed its forces launched missiles and drones at American vessels as a warning, while US Central Command rejected Iranian assertions that its ships were forced to withdraw toward the Indian Ocean.
Erbil (Kurdistan24) - Iran's navy announced on Friday that it had fired a series of missiles and drones as a warning toward US warships operating in the Gulf of Oman, in a significant escalation that came after American forces seized a vessel suspected of aiding Tehran, according to Iranian state media.
Iranian official media, citing the country's naval forces on Friday, accused the United States of "disrupting international maritime movement" and "seizing oil tankers," describing the missile and drone strikes as a direct response to what Iranian military officials characterized as American acts of aggression. The Islamic Republic of Iran charged that the US operations amounted to unlawful interference with international shipping.
US forces seized a vessel named the Davina in the Indian Ocean overnight, US Indo-Pacific Command announced on Friday. According to the American statement, the ship was sailing without a national flag and was listed among vessels subject to international sanctions.
US Central Command (CENTCOM) rejected Iranian claims on its official X account on Friday, calling assertions that American warships had been forced to retreat toward the Indian Ocean "false and inaccurate." "Iranian forces did NOT attack or fire at US Navy warships," CENTCOM said in the post. "Doing so would be a gross violation of the ceasefire." The command added that US forces continue to operate freely in regional waters while fully enforcing the ongoing maritime blockade against the Islamic Republic of Iran.
In a separate statement, CENTCOM said: "We will continue our naval operations across the globe to dismantle illicit networks. Any vessel providing material support to Iran, wherever it may be, will be confronted."
The exchange marks one of the most direct public confrontations between Washington and Tehran since the ceasefire came into effect, with competing accounts of events in the Gulf of Oman highlighting the fragile and contested nature of the current standoff. While no shots were fired at US Navy warships according to CENTCOM, the Iranian navy's public claim of having launched warning strikes, and its accusations against the United States underscore that the naval and sanctions front of the conflict remains deeply volatile.
The developments come as the broader ceasefire between the United States, Israel, and the Islamic Republic of Iran remains sensitive, with the Strait of Hormuz still effectively closed and nuclear negotiations between Washington and Tehran continuing without a breakthrough.
BRIEF:
Iran's navy claimed on Friday, June 5, that it fired missiles and drones as warning shots at US warships in the Gulf of Oman, but US Central Command rejected the claim, denying any retreat and reaffirming that American forces continue to operate freely in regional waters under the ongoing ceasefire.