US military officials have been rejecting claims by Iranian official media regarding ongoing operations in the Persian Gulf region.
A statement issued on social media denied a report by Iran’s Tasnim news agency, which is linked to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), saying that Iranian armed forces had “targeted” a US destroyer as it approached Iranian territorial waters in the Gulf of Oman.
“Iran is lying. US military assets at sea continue to fly, sail, and operate safely and unimpeded,” said the post by US Central Command (CENTCOM).
Earlier, CENTCOM also contradicted Iranian reports that the IRGC had said Iran was not responsible for the deadly attack on Kuwait’s international airport on June 3.
Iranian state media quoted an IRGC spokesman as saying that the strike, that damaged part of a passenger terminal, was caused by a malfunctioning US-made Patriot air defense system.
This was despite the fact that earlier, the IRGC said the attack was retaliation for previous US strikes in recent days.
“Iran struck the civilian airport with drones in a deliberate, calculated, and unjustified attack,” CENTCOM said in another social media post.
Kuwait also blamed Iran for the attack.
“Iran’s blatant acts of aggression…escalate tensions, undermine security and stability of the region, and constitute a flagrant violation of international law,” Kuwait’s Foreign Ministry said in a statement.
Battlefield claims could not be independently verified.