Iran's armed forces said they fired warning shots at US warships off the country's southern coast, driving back two US destroyers from the Arabian Sea, according to a statement by the army carried by a state broadcaster on Friday.
The statement said kamikaze drones and anti-ship cruise missiles were fired. A state television reporter said the incident had taken place in the past 48 hours. US Navy vessels had sought to enter the Gulf with navigation systems switched off, the report said.
Iran's armed forces took control of the strait shortly after the outbreak of war — a waterway of major importance to the global economy as an export route for fertilizer, oil and liquefied natural gas.
The United States has imposed a naval blockade to prevent Iran from exporting oil. In recent weeks there have been isolated exchanges of fire between the two sides.
Israel and the US began a war against Iran on February 28. A ceasefire has been in place since early April. Negotiations between Tehran and Washington on a framework agreement to end the war and reopen the Strait of Hormuz to shipping have been stalled for weeks.
