The US army says it has hit three Iran-linked oil tankers after ballistic missiles were launched in the direction of two of its warships within the area.
US Central Command (Centcom) mentioned on Saturday it had “permanently disabled” a tanker close to Kharg Island and one other close to the Strait of Hormuz, and “completely destroyed” a 3rd within the Gulf of Oman.
Centcom mentioned it “successfully evaded” a number of assaults from the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) focusing on a US plane provider and guided-missile destroyer. No American troops were harmed, it mentioned in an announcement.
Iranian state media earlier reported that one in every of its tankers had been struck off the coast of Kharg Island.
Tehran didn’t instantly acknowledge assaults on US ships.
Admiral Brad Cooper, Centcom’s commander, mentioned in an announcement on Saturday: “Let the message to the IRGC be clear: If you shoot at two of our ships, we will impose an even higher economic cost – taking out three of yours.”
“We will not hesitate to defend American forces, and if necessary, destroy Iran’s limited and exposed oil fleet.”
Centcom, which oversees US army operations within the Middle East, claimed that the three Iranian oil tankers were “part of a multibillion-dollar shadow network that funds the IRGC and its regional proxies”.
The strikes come practically per week after renewed assaults between the US and Iran, which adopted a interval of relative calm between the warring sides.