US Destroyers Withdraw from Gulf of Oman After Iranian Naval Warning Operation
US destroyers and other naval assets withdrew from the Gulf of Oman and headed toward the Indian Ocean after a missile and drone warning operation.
Iran, PUREWILAYAH.COM — The Iranian Navy announced on Friday that several American naval vessels, including destroyers operating in the Gulf of Oman, withdrew toward the Indian Ocean following a warning operation involving missiles and attack drones.
According to a statement issued by the Public Relations Office of the Iranian Army, the operation was conducted as part of ongoing efforts to counter what it described as maritime provocations, harassment, and the seizure of commercial vessels and oil tankers by the US military navy.
The statement said Iranian naval forces launched warning shots using Qadir missiles and newly developed Shaheed Danai attack drones.
Following the operation, the destroyers DDG-103 and DDG-87 reportedly left the Gulf of Oman and moved toward the Indian Ocean.
Iranian military officials further stated that, in addition to the two destroyers, other American vessels operating as part of the George W. Bush Carrier Strike Group also withdrew from the area. The statement added that the amphibious assault ship USS Tripoli was among the vessels that left the Gulf of Oman following recent Iranian operations.
The Iranian Navy’s Command and Control Center stressed that the United States must cease what it described as maritime theft and hostile activities in the region.
The statement also warned that although the withdrawing vessels had moved beyond the range of the missiles used during the warning operation, Iran possesses longer-range missiles that could be employed if necessary.
US Central Command (CENTCOM), however, rejected the Iranian account and claimed that reports regarding warning fire directed at American vessels and their alleged withdrawal from the area were false.
Iranian military authorities, meanwhile, maintained that following the launch of warning shots using Qadir missiles and the new Shaheed Danai attack drones, the destroyers DDG-103 and DDG-87 left the Gulf of Oman and headed toward the Indian Ocean. (PW)