The U.S. military offered condolences on Thursday to the Iranian people over the friendly fire incident in the Gulf of Oman in which an Iranian anti-ship cruise missile killed 19 Iranian troops.

In a statement, while criticizing the training for taking place so close to the Strait of Hormuz, Capt. Bill Urban, a spokesman for the U.S. Central Command, said the force offers "our sincere condolences to the Iranian people for the tragic loss of life."

“While we are troubled that this mishap occurred in such close proximity to a high-traffic international shipping lane and at a time when most of the region's focus is on the fight against COVID-19, the unnecessary loss of life is regrettable," Capt Urban said.

The Iranian Navy released a statement on Monday about the incident in the Gulf of Oman in which the Navy vessel “Konarak” was shot and sank by another Navy frigate “Jamaran” during a military exercise, and announced that 19 crew members were killed and 15 were injured in the incident.

Konarak was reportedly tasked with placing targets within the firing zone. But when the cruise missile was fired, Konarak had not distanced itself enough from the designated target, so the missile locked on the vessel.