The U.S. military announced Saturday that it struck three Iranian oil tankers in response to missile attacks on Navy warships patrolling the region. No U.S. personnel were injured during the Iranian attacks.
Admiral Brad Coo head of U.S. Central Command, said the strikes targeted vessels that were part of a shadow network providing funding to Iran's new Guard and its armed proxies. "We will not hesitate to defend American forces, and if necessary, destroy Iran's limited and exposed oil fleet," Cooper said.
Two of the three tankers were permanently disabled. The third, which was unladen, was destroyed. One tanker was struck off Kharg Island, another near Jask east of the Strait of Hormuz, and the third in the Gulf of Oman. The U.S. military released what it said was video footage of the strikes.
Iranian state television reported that four U.S. missiles struck a tanker approximately six miles from Kharg Island, which hosts a terminal responsible for exporting most of Iran's oil and has been repeatedly targeted during the conflict.
The strikes came nearly a week after the U.S. and Iran resumed attacks following a month of relative calm. They followed new U.S. economic pressure on Tehran. At least five people were killed during a U.S. bombardment of southern Iran earlier this week, including in a strike on a wedding.
The conflict began with U.S. and Israeli attacks on Feb. 28. President Donald Trump described the situation as "small potatoes" on Friday.
The original dispute over Iran's nuclear program was slated for negotiations that collapsed shortly after the U.S. and Iran signed a memorandum of understanding in mid-June. Tehran's current leverage centers on the Strait of Hormuz, a waterway critical for global oil and natural gas shipments. The U.S. military has assisted in guiding ships through the strait as Iran asserts control and targets certain vessels. Overall traffic through the vital waterway remains low.
