Iran Claims Missile Warning Forced US Destroyers Away, Washington Denies Incident

Tehran— Iran’s military said on Friday it fired “warning missiles” at two U.S. destroyers in the Gulf of Oman, claiming the vessels withdrew from the area, an assertion swiftly rejected by the U.S. military.

Iran’s state news agency IRNA said the action was taken in response to what Tehran described as U.S. maritime misconduct, including the seizure of commercial vessels and oil tankers linked to Iran.

U.S. Central Command denied the claim, saying no Iranian attack or missile launch targeted American warships and that U.S. naval forces continued to operate normally in regional waters.

” Iranian forces did NOT attack or fire at U.S. Navy warships,” Central Command said, adding that such an action would constitute a serious violation of the ceasefire that has largely held since April 8.

The exchange highlights continuing tensions despite the truce that halted major hostilities following the conflict that erupted after U.S.-Israeli strikes on Iran on Feb. 28.

Separately, the U.S. Indo-Pacific Command said American forces boarded the sanctioned stateless oil tanker Davina in the Indian Ocean during a maritime interdiction operation. Washington said it would continue efforts to disrupt networks involved in Iranian oil shipments.

The Davina, also known as the Lenore, was sanctioned by the United States in 2024 for its alleged involvement in Iranian oil trading. Ship-tracking data showed the vessel near Sri Lanka’s southern coast on Friday carrying a near-full cargo of crude oil.

The incident underscores persistent friction between Tehran and Washington as diplomatic efforts to secure a lasting settlement to the conflict remain stalled.