Iran Warns US Navy in Strait of Hormuz Mine Operation

Tensions escalated in the Strait of Hormuz on Sunday when Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps issued warnings to U.S. Navy vessels conducting mine-clearing operations in the vital waterway, amid stalled nuclear negotiations and a fragile two-week ceasefire between the two nations.

The IRGC naval command stated that it maintains full control over all traffic in the strait, granting passage only to nonmilitary vessels under specific regulations. In a social media post, the group declared that any miscalculation by adversaries would trap them in a "deadly vortex." Iranian state media released footage of radio communications in which personnel repeatedly warned a U.S. destroyer in the Gulf of Oman to alter course or face targeting. "This is the last warning," the transmissions stated, directing the vessel to return to the Indian Ocean. The IRGC also broadcast a broader alert to ships in the area, advising them to maintain at least a 10-mile distance from U.S. warships, as forces were prepared to open fire without further notice.

U.S. officials presented a contrasting account. Two guided-missile destroyers, the USS Frank E. Petersen Jr. and USS Michael Murphy, transited the...