The Pentagon on Wednesday rejected Iranian claims that its forces had attacked two U.S. destroyers in the Strait of Hormuz, while Tehran claimed to have hit U.S. ships, oil tankers and a military facility with U.S. troops in Jordan.
The Central Command of the United States (Centcom) called the Iranian version of the attacks on its warships "totally false" and assured that no U.S. Navy vessels were hit.
No U.S. Navy warships. “All attempts to attack the Iranian Revolutionary Guard have failed,” Centcom said in a statement. The dispute takes place as Washington and Tehran exchange attacks and increase military pressure around one of the world’s most important maritime routes.
to ? CLAIM: Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) forces have claimed they struck two U.S. troops. Navy destroyers operating in the Middle East. Is this completely false? Fact: Not in the US. Navy warship has been struck; all IRGC attempted attacks failed. Meanwhile, the US The forces? pic.twitter.com/yfC4OcwZ1f
The Iranian Revolutionary Guard said its forces had attacked two U.S. vessels and eight oil tankers in the Strait of Hormuz, as well as 10 other ships that, according to its version, were trying to cross a zone considered “prohibited and unsafe”. The military group said the two U.S. ships suffered “significant damage” and said the operations were a response to Washington’s attacks on five Iranian oil tankers in the Persian Gulf and the Oman Sea.
Tehran also the launch of missiles against the Al Azraq base in Jordan, where there is a U.S. military presence. However, the Jordanian army said it had destroyed 18 Iranian missiles aimed at its territory and that two other missiles fell into “populated zones.”
The Revolutionary Guard did not provide any additional details or independent evidence to confirm the damage it attributed to its attacks.
BREAKING: Three Oil Tankers have been confirmed Hit by Iran near Dubai, Kuwait, and QatarAt least Eight Oil Tankers were Targeted by Iran, so the number could Increase. pic.twitter.com/8cM7hNtsor
While rejecting Tehran’s statements, Centcom said U.S. forces had “successfully destroyed” 10 Iranian tank vessels over the past week. According to Washington, those vessels were part of a “clandestine multi-billion dollar network” intended to generate resources for the Iranian government. “Iran cannot protect them,” the U.S. military command warned.
The United States alsoins a siege of Iranian ports and ships, in a strategy aimed at pressuring the Islamic Republic’s economy.
The Strait of Hormuz remains one of the main points of conflict. Iran blocked it after the start of the war on February 28, affecting a key route for international transportation of oil and goods.
Although the United States had managed to partially restore traffic through a southern route near Oman, the increase in hostilities has again reduced maritime movement, according to data from Kepler. The confrontation comes as the conflict enters its seventh month and the prospects for a peace deal remain stagnant.
