(Central News Agency reporter Hou Ziying, Washington, 5th) The U.S. Central Command said today that the U.S. military attacked three Iranian oil tankers after Iran fired ballistic missiles at two U.S. Navy warships, including an aircraft carrier; the battle between the United States and Iran over the Strait of Hormuz, an important global waterway, continues to escalate.
A statement from the U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) said that a U.S. aircraft carrier and a destroyer escaped "multiple unprovoked attacks by Iran" and that no U.S. officers and soldiers were injured.
The Wall Street Journal reported that U.S. officials said that although Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) has continued to fire ballistic missiles at U.S. forces throughout the U.S.-Iran conflict, this attempt to attack a U.S. warship was seen as a major escalation.
Central Command Commander Brad Cooper said in a statement that he wanted to send a clear message to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, "If you open fire on two of our ships, we will pay a higher economic price by getting rid of three of your ships."
"We will not hesitate to protect U.S. forces and, if necessary, destroy Iran's limited and exposed tanker fleet," Cooper said.
The report quoted U.S. officials as saying that the U.S. military had begun launching attacks on Iranian oil tankers earlier this week as part of a new strategy to punish Tehran and attack its oil transportation capabilities. According to the video released by the Central Command, the US military also hit two oil tankers during the strike operation on the 1st.
On the other hand, the US military continues to impose a naval blockade on Iranian ports. Central Command stated that as of this week, the US military has forced 87 merchant ships to reroute, paralyzed 3 ships, and boarded 2 ships to inspect to ensure that the blockade regulations are fully complied with.
Amid the recent escalation of hostilities between the United States and Iran, Iranian state media reported that an oil tanker was hit at night near Kharg Island; the island is where Iran stores and loads most of its exported crude oil.
The US military said it had paralyzed the tanker and another tanker near Jask, Iran. Separately, Central Command stated that the U.S. military "completely destroyed" an empty oil tanker in the Gulf of Oman; after instructing the crew to abandon the ship, the U.S. military launched multiple attacks on the ship to ensure that it completely lost its ability to sail.
As early as the early days of the U.S.-Iran war, Iran began attacking ships passing through the Strait of Hormuz. Although Iran signed a preliminary agreement with the United States in June to open the strait, it later launched attacks again in order to protest the United States' practice of guiding ships through the strait.
Recently, two oil tankers carrying Saudi Arabian oil tried to cross the strait in the middle of the night, but both were attacked by Iran. At that time, the two oil tankers were traveling in a waterway designated by the US military near the coast of Oman. This waterway was intended to break Iran's control of the waters, but it also became the target of Iranian firepower.
The war between the United States and Iran heated up again at the end of August. The US military launched a new round of air strikes on the Iranian coast, the first of its kind in a month, demonstrating its determination to seize control of the Strait of Hormuz.
Before the outbreak of the US-Iraq war, about 1/5 of the world's oil and natural gas was transported through the Strait of Hormuz. Iran's control of the strait has always been Tehran's main bargaining chip in war and armistice negotiations. (Editor: Hong Peiying) 1150906
