Exclusive: IRGC locked 16 cruise missiles on US warships in Strait of Hormuz before they retreated

In new details of last week's operation in the Strait of Hormuz, Press TV has learned that the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) Navy locked more than a dozen cruise missiles onto aggressive US warships moments before they hastily retreated.

Press TV obtained the new information during follow-up investigations of the April 11 confrontation between IRGC naval forces and the US military in the strategic waterway.

According to Press TV's findings, after the American warships – the USS Michael Murphy (DDG 112) and the USS Frank E. Peterson (DDG 121) – failed to heed initial warnings from Iranian naval forces, the IRGC Navy locked 16 cruise missiles onto the vessels.

The enemy was then warned that if they did not withdraw from the Strait of Hormuz within minutes, the missiles would be fired.

With American forces reportedly certain that an attack was imminent, they requested a 15-minute delay from the IRGC naval forces.

According to the new information obtained by Press TV, US military personnel sought to use that time to communicate the dire situation back to their command and receive further orders.

The tense back-and-forth lasted less than an hour, largely due to the restraint exercised by Iranian forces. Shortly thereafter, the American destroyers rapidly fled the area.

A Press TV investigation on April 12 had revealed that the US military's attempt to sail two destroyers through the Strait of Hormuz ended as a failed propaganda stunt timed to coincide with the talks in Islamabad.

Based on information provided by highly placed military-security sources, the report revealed that the US Navy destroyers came within minutes of complete destruction after attempting a high-risk passage through the Strait of Hormuz – a failed propaganda operation aimed at influencing the Iran-US talks in the Pakistani capital.

Both Arleigh Burke-class destroyers had attempted to transit the strategic waterway but were intercepted and forced to retreat by Iranian naval forces.

Press TV's earlier investigation found the American attempt to be an extremely high-risk move that could have easily turned into a disaster for the United States and its military.

The destroyers were only minutes away from complete destruction after Iranian cruise missiles locked onto the vessels and attack drones were deployed.

The investigation further revealed that by spoofing their identity, the destroyers sought to present themselves as commercial vessels belonging to Oman, purportedly engaged in coastal transit in the southern part of the Sea of Oman.

The destroyers also chose a route very close to the coast and through shallow waters, taking a high risk to pass through concealment and deception, expecting that Iranian forces might be negligent during the ceasefire.

However, the IRGC naval forces, while patrolling around Fujairah, had already detected the deception and taken swift action.

The investigation further revealed that the failed operation was specifically designed to exploit the ceasefire in order to test the readiness of Iran's naval forces.

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