US strikes Iranian oil tankers after missile attacks on warships

The US military said it struck three Iran-linked oil tankers after ballistic missiles were fired at two US warships in the region.

US Central Command (CENTCOM) said on Saturday it had "permanently disabled" one tanker off Khark Island and another near the Strait of Hormuz, while a third in the Gulf of Oman was "completely destroyed".

U.S. forces managed to avoid several Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) attacks targeting a U.S. aircraft carrier and a guided missile destroyer, CENTCOM said. None of the American troops were injured.

Earlier, Iranian state media reported that one of the Iranian tankers was attacked off the coast of Khark Island.

Tehran has not yet officially confirmed the attacks on American ships.

The commander of US Central Command, Admiral Brad Cooper, said Saturday: "Our message to the IRGC is very clear: if you shoot at two of our ships, we will make you pay an even higher economic price by destroying three of yours."

"We will not hesitate to protect American forces and, if necessary, destroy Iran's limited and vulnerable oil fleet," Cooper added.

CENTCOM, which oversees US military operations in the Middle East, claims the three Iranian oil tankers were part of a "multi-billion-dollar shadow network funding the IRGC and its regional allies."

The strikes come less than a week after the resumption of hostilities between the United States and Iran, which was preceded by a period of relative calm.

The US resumed attacks last Sunday. According to the US military, two missile launchers were struck at the time to prevent their use in laying sea mines in the Strait of Hormuz.

On Tuesday, President Donald Trump said the United States had struck another "very powerful blow" but suggested the new round of fighting would not last "too long."

Iran responded by attacking American targets in the region, including the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Kuwait and Jordan.

On Thursday, US Vice President J.D. Vance also commented on Iran's claims that an American strike on a wedding ceremony in the south of the country killed at least four people, including two children. He said he was "extremely skeptical" about reports of the alleged strike, but confirmed the US would investigate.

The Iranian Red Crescent Society said rocket fragments hit a house in the town of Sirik where a wedding ceremony was taking place on Tuesday. Tehran called the incident a “war crime.”

A 60-day truce between the United States and Iran officially expired last month, with little sign of an imminent diplomatic settlement.

Days after the ceasefire ended, Trump said the United States would impose tougher economic measures against Iran, as well as any countries that help Tehran or do business with it.

The US and Israel launched their first large-scale strikes on Iran on February 28. In response, Tehran attacked Israel, American bases and US allies in the Persian Gulf, and also effectively blocked the movement of ships through the Strait of Hormuz.