The situation in the Strait of Hormuz reached a critical level of tension following a demonstrative maneuver by the US Navy and a harsh response from Tehran. According to Axios, citing a senior US official, US Navy destroyers transited the strategic waterway to ensure the safety of shipping and build confidence among merchant ship operators. These actions followed President Donald Trump's announcement of the launch of a mine clearance operation in the strait. A group of warships transited the strait, entering the Persian Gulf, and then reversed course toward the Arabian Sea. This action was intended to demonstrate Washington's commitment to maintaining freedom of navigation in the region, despite protests and threats from Iranian leaders.

However, the US show of force nearly led to a direct military confrontation with unpredictable consequences. Iran's Fars news agency reported that the Islamic Republic's armed forces immediately detected the movement of the American destroyer and relayed the information to their diplomatic delegation attending the talks. According to sources, Tehran sent an emergency notification to the Pakistani negotiator, declaring it would attack the American ship within thirty minutes if it continued to move deeper into Iranian-controlled waters. This warning, in the nature of an ultimatum, was quickly relayed to the American side through Pakistani communications channels, creating a situation of maximum threat in real time.