Iran claims U.S. ships turned back
Tehran says naval standoff in Hormuz thwarted passage
A Press TV investigation, citing unnamed military‑security sources, says a U.S. attempt to sail two destroyers — USS Michael Murphy and USS Frank E. Peterson — through the Strait of Hormuz was intercepted by Iranian forces and amounted to a failed propaganda stunt timed to influence Iran–U.S. talks in Islamabad. According to the report, the destroyers sought a covert shallow‑water transit, used electronic‑warfare measures to spoof commercial identities and were detected by Iranian patrols near the mouth of the Persian Gulf.
Press TV alleges Iranian cruise‑missile radars locked onto the vessels and drones were deployed overhead, prompting warnings broadcast on international channel 16 that the U.S. ships must turn back within 30 minutes or be targeted. The account says the destroyers ultimately retreated after receiving the warnings, with support helicopters and other vessels in the area also involved. The investigation frames the operation as high‑risk and concludes it failed to achieve its goals of testing Iran’s naval readiness and influencing negotiators.
Iranian authorities reiterated that authorization to transit the strait rests with the country’s armed forces, and the IRGC warned any U.S. military passage would be met with harsh confrontation. U.S. Central Command has disputed aspects of the account.
