The US military has rejected an Iranian claim that its forces struck an unmanned American vessel in the Strait of Hormuz, calling the assertion “a total lie.”
State-run media in Tehran reported that Iran had hit an unmanned US vessel attempting to enter an area of the strait that Iran says is restricted. Capt. Tim Hawkins, a spokesman for US Central Command, dismissed the claim in comments to the Associated Press, Hiru News reported, citing CBS.
Al Jazeera separately reported the Iranian claim on Sunday, also attributing it to the Associated Press.
92 ships redirected under the blockade
CENTCOM said on Sunday that US forces have redirected 92 commercial vessels, disabled three and boarded two others to “ensure strict compliance” with the maritime blockade imposed on Iran.
The purported attack came a day after the US military said it had struck three Iranian oil tankers in response to ballistic missiles fired at two US Navy ships. Attacks between the two sides resumed last week after roughly a month of quiet.
“If you shoot at two of our ships, we will impose an even higher economic cost — taking out three of yours,” CENTCOM commander Admiral Brad Cooper said of that operation.
IRGC warns shipping in the Gulf
Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps said it had launched “several ballistic missiles” at the aircraft carrier and destroyer, accusing them of “harassing Iranian ships” and taking part in the naval blockade. CENTCOM said both vessels evaded the missiles and no US personnel were injured.
Tehran also said its forces targeted three oil tankers using what it called an “unauthorised route” through the Strait of Hormuz, along with three US-linked vessels elsewhere.
In a statement carried by Iranian broadcaster IRIB, the IRGC navy warned all ships in the Gulf and near the strait not to be “deceived” by the US military and to “refrain from any suspicious movement aimed at transiting unauthorised waterways.”
“Otherwise, you will be targeted,” it said.
Washington has said the Iranian tankers it struck were part of a multibillion-dollar shadow network financing the IRGC and its regional allies. The US says an increasing volume of oil has begun moving through the strait, though Al Jazeera noted the exact figures remain disputed.
