US Military Strikes Three Iran-Linked Oil Tankers After Missile Attack on Warships
US Central Command says it struck three Iran-linked oil tankers in response to ballistic missiles fired at two American warships in the region. Iran has confirmed the strikes and reported retaliating against US-linked vessels.
The United States military said on Saturday it had struck three oil tankers linked to Iran after ballistic missiles were launched at two American warships operating in the region. The announcement came from US Central Command (CENTCOM), as reported by BBC's Russian service.
According to CENTCOM, one tanker was permanently disabled near Kharg Island, a second was hit close to the Strait of Hormuz, and a third, located in the Gulf of Oman, was completely destroyed. The command said American forces managed to evade several attacks by Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) that targeted a US aircraft carrier and a guided-missile destroyer. No US service members were harmed.
Iran's account
Earlier, Iranian state media reported that one of the country's tankers had been attacked off the coast of Kharg Island. Iranian state outlets later confirmed the US strikes had taken place and said Tehran responded by attacking three vessels linked to the United States, along with three oil tankers that were passing through the Strait of Hormuz on what Iran described as an "unauthorized" route.
A warning from Washington
CENTCOM commander Admiral Brad Cooper said on Saturday that the message to the IRGC was unmistakable: firing on two American ships would cost Iran a far steeper economic price, with the US destroying three of its vessels in return. Cooper added that Washington would not hesitate to defend American forces and, if necessary, would continue targeting Iran's limited and vulnerable oil fleet.
CENTCOM, which oversees US military operations in the Middle East, alleges that the three targeted Iranian tankers were part of a multibillion-dollar shadow network funding the IRGC and its regional allies.
