TEHRAN, JUN 5: Iran’s navy said on Friday it had fired warning missiles and drones at US warships in the Gulf of Oman, accusing the US Navy of harassing maritime traffic and seizing commercial vessels and oil tankers, Iranian state media reported.

United States Central Command (CENTCOM) denied the reports later on Friday, saying in a post on X/Twitter, “Iranian forces did NOT attack or fire at US Navy warships.”

“Doing so would be a gross violation of the ceasefire,” CENTCOM added. “US forces continue to operate freely in regional waters while fully enforcing the ongoing blockade against Iran.”

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Earlier, the US Indo-Pacific Command (INDOPACOM) said US forces had intercepted the sanctioned stateless vessel M/T DAVINA in the Indian Ocean overnight.

“We will continue global maritime enforcement to disrupt illicit networks and interdict vessels providing material support to Iran, wherever they operate,” it said in a post on X/Twitter.

The exchange comes amid heightened tensions over maritime security around Iran, as Washington enforces sanctions on Iranian oil shipments and Tehran has repeatedly threatened shipping in and around the Strait of Hormuz.

On Monday, the US struck Iranian targets in Goruk and Qeshm Island along the Strait of Hormuz in response to Iran’s downing of an American drone, CENTCOM announced in an X post on Monday.

US destroys Iranian targets in ‘self-defense’
On May 26, the US struck southern Iranian mine-laying boats and missile launch sites in “self-defense.”

“US forces conducted self-defense strikes in southern Iran today to protect our troops from threats posed by Iranian forces,” said CENTCOM spokesperson Capt. Tim Hawkins.

“US Central Command continues to defend our forces while using restraint during the ongoing ceasefire,” said Hawkins.

The US military destroyed two Iranian ships after spotting them laying mines in the Strait, a senior US official told Fox News.

He added that the US struck a Bandar Abbas surface-to-air missile (SAM) site, emphasizing that the strikes do not indicate an end to the US-Iran ceasefire.

US President Donald Trump said he will only end the ceasefire if Iran kills American soldiers, The Wall Street Journal reported on Wednesday.

According to the WSJ, Trump may be willing to absorb Iranian attacks if it means avoiding escalation.

Ariella Roitman contributed to this report.