Even as top negotiators from US and Iran talked diplomacy in Islamabad on Saturday, the Strait of Hormuz crackled with brinkmanship as American warships sliced through contested waters, leading to a tense standoff with Iranian forces.
According to The Wall Street Journal (WSJ), two US Navy guided-missile destroyers attempted to transit the choke point, drawing a sharp challenge from Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Navy. A radio exchange of the charged moment was reportedly captured by a nearby civilian vessel.
“This is the last warning. This is the last warning,” Iranian forces said.
“Passage in accordance with international law. No challenge is intended to you, and I intend to abide by rules of our government’s cease-fire,” a US ship replied.
The guided-missile destroyers crossed the strait without incident, the WSJ reported, a first since the war erupted nearly six weeks ago and Iran effectively closed off the crucial waterway.
Tehran, which has stipulated that any ship trying to transit Hormuz must coordinate with it, was not informed prior to the US mission, per Axios.
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