'This is the last warning.' Iran threatens U.S. warships after they throw down the gauntlet for winner-take-all Strait of Hormuz

(Credit: U.S. Central Command)

U.S. Navy ships sent an unmistakable signal Saturday as they crossed the Strait of Hormuz, challenging Iran’s control over the narrow waterway that will likely determine the outcome of the Middle East war.

The U.S.S. Michael Murphy turned on its automatic identification system as it and another destroyer, the U.S.S. Frank E. Petersen, transited the strait, breaking the typical protocol of Navy ships sailing with their AIS turned off.