US Strikes Three Iranian Oil Tankers After Warships Targeted

The United States military says it has struck three Iran-linked oil tankers after ballistic missiles were launched towards two US warships in the region.

US Central Command (Centcom) said on Saturday that one tanker near Kharg Island and another near the Strait of Hormuz had been “permanently disabled”, while a third tanker in the Gulf of Oman was “completely destroyed”.

Centcom said its forces successfully evaded multiple attacks by Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) targeting a US aircraft carrier and a guided-missile destroyer. No American personnel were injured, it said.

Iranian state media earlier reported that one of the country’s tankers had been struck off the coast of Kharg Island. Tehran had not immediately acknowledged the reported attacks on US warships.

Centcom commander Admiral Brad Cooper said the strikes were intended to send a clear warning to Iran.

“Let the message to the IRGC be clear: If you shoot at two of our ships, we will impose an even higher economic cost,” he said.

Cooper added that the US would continue to defend its forces and, if necessary, target Iran’s oil fleet.

Centcom said the three tankers were allegedly part of a multi-billion-dollar “shadow network” used to fund the IRGC and its regional allies.

The latest strikes come nearly a week after fighting between the US and Iran intensified following a period of relative calm.

The US said it had previously struck two rocket launchers that it believed could be used to lay naval mines in the Strait of Hormuz. President Donald Trump later described another US operation as a “very heavy attack”, while suggesting the renewed conflict would not continue for long.

Iran subsequently retaliated against US-linked targets across the region, including in the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Kuwait and Jordan.

The conflict has also sparked allegations of civilian casualties. Iran’s government said US strikes killed at least four people, including two children, at a wedding in southern Iran.

US Vice-President JD Vance said he was “extremely sceptical” of the claim but confirmed that Washington would investigate.

The Iranian Red Crescent Society said shrapnel from a missile struck a wedding ceremony at a home in Sirik on Tuesday. Iranian authorities described the incident as a “war crime”.