‘Keep away, go back to the Indian Ocean immediately’: Iran warns US warships in dramatic Hormuz Strait footage | WATCH

Iran on Sunday released the purported footage of a “confrontation” with US warships in the Strait of Hormuz as they attempted to sail through the chokepoint waterway controlled by Tehran.

A 64-second video shared by the Iranian Embassy in Bulgaria shows a US warship in the Hormuz waters with an Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (or Sepah) Navy Station warning the vessel to alter course immediately.

Advertisement

“US Navy Warship 121, this is Sepah Navy Station. You must alter course and go back to the Indian Ocean immediately. If you don’t obey my order, you will be targeted,” a person is heard saying in the footage.

In response, a female voice responds, saying, “This is Coalition Warship 121. Engaged in transit passage in accordance with international law. No challenges… to you.”

The IRGC station then issues another warning message, asking vessels in the Oman Sea to keep a distance of more than 10 miles from the US warships, adding they will be targeted without any further warning.

“Last warning, last warning, last warning. Attention all vessels… in the Oman Sea. This is Iranian Sepah Navy. If you see any warship in your vicinity, keep a distance of more than 10 miles from them because I’m ready to open fire on them without any warning,” the Sepah Navy warning message added.

The purported footage of the confrontation was released after the US military’s Central Command (CENTCOM) said that two guided-missile destroyers, the USS Frank E. Peterson and the USS Michael Murphy, “transited the Strait of Hormuz and operated in the Arabian Gulf” on Saturday.

According to the US military, the move was part of an operation to clear the Strait of Hormuz of sea mines previously laid by Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps.

“Today, we began the process of establishing a new passage and we will share this safe pathway with the maritime industry soon to encourage the free flow of commerce,” said Adm. Brad Cooper, commander of CENTCOM.

However, Iranian state media described the move as a “failed propaganda stunt” aimed at influencing the failed Islamabad talks.

A Press TV report claimed that Iranian cruise missiles were locked onto the US warships and attack drones were deployed, forcing the US warships to retreat.