BAKU, Azerbaijan, March 3. The US Central Command (CENTCOM) announced that none of the 11 Iranian ships previously stationed in the Gulf of Oman remain in the area, Trend reports, citing CENTCOM’s statement on X.
The statement said: "Two days ago, there were 11 Iranian ships in the Gulf of Oman; today, they are not there."
CENTCOM added that the United States will continue freedom of navigation operations and reaffirmed that its area of operational responsibility includes the Middle East.
Following the 2nd round of nuclear talks between Washington and Tehran on February 17, which ended without progress, the U.S. increased its presence in areas near Iran, deploying over 150 aircraft to bases in Europe and the Middle East.
The escalation follows the 3rd round of nuclear talks between Iran and the United States in Geneva on February 26. Held under the administration of U.S. President Donald Trump, the negotiations were viewed as the final chance to strike a deal diplomatically. However, no agreements were reached, as Tehran refused to halt uranium enrichment, dismantle its nuclear facilities, or accept indefinite restrictions on its nuclear program. Israel launched its airstrikes shortly afterward, with the country's Defense Minister Katz emphasizing that the operations were preemptive.
In a significant escalation, military airstrikes conducted by Israel and the United States the previous day have reportedly resulted in the deaths of Iran’s Supreme Leader Seyyed Ali Khamenei and several members of his family.
Additionally, several of Iran’s most senior military and security officials were killed in the airstrikes, including Chief of Staff Major General Abdolrahim Mousavi, Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) Commander-in-Chief Mohammad Pakpour, Supreme Leader adviser and Defense Council Secretary Ali Shamkhani, and Defense Minister Aziz Nasirzadeh.