US Central Command (Centcom) said it had "permanently disabled" a tanker close to Iran's Kharg Island and another near the Strait of Hormuz, and that it had "completely destroyed" a third vessel in the Gulf of Oman after the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) launched ballistic missiles toward a US aircraft carrier and a guided‑missile destroyer.
Centcom claimed the three oil tankers were part of a multibillion‑dollar shadow network that funds the IRGC and its regional proxies, and said the US forces successfully evaded the missile attacks without any personnel casualties.
Admiral Brad Cooper, commander of Centcom, warned the IRGC that shooting at two US ships would prompt an even higher economic cost, stating: "If you shoot at two of our ships, we will impose an even higher economic cost – taking out three of yours."
Iranian state media later reported that one of its tankers had been struck off the coast of Kharg Island, though Tehran did not immediately acknowledge the US attacks on its vessels.
The strikes come less than a week after a 60‑day ceasefire between the US and Iran formally expired, and follow a series of escalatory actions that began with US and Israeli strikes on Iran on 28 February, after which Iran responded by targeting US bases, Israel and shipping in the Gulf.
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Category: International
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