The US says it has 'successfully avoided' multiple attacks by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) against an aircraft carrier and a guided-missile destroyer of US forces.
By Grace Eliza Goodwin
The US Central Command released images of attacks on oil tankers linked to Iran. — Photo: Reproduction/X/U.S. Southern Command
The US military says it has struck three oil tankers linked to Iran after launching ballistic missiles at two of its warships in the region.
US Central Command (Centcom) reported on Saturday (5) that it had "permanently disabled" a tanker near Kharg Island and another near Jask in the Gulf of Oman, and "completely destroyed" a third in the Gulf of Oman.
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Central Command said it had "successfully fended off" multiple attacks by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) against a US aircraft carrier and guided-missile destroyer. No American soldiers were injured, according to the statement.
Iranian state media confirmed that American forces attacked three Iranian oil tankers in the region's waters.
Iranian state broadcaster IRIB reported that there were no casualties in the attack on the oil tanker near Kharg Island and that images indicate that the vessel's refrigeration system extinguished the fire within an hour.
The crews of the two oil tankers attacked in the Gulf of Oman were taken to shore in lifeboats, IRIB said. One of the tankers was empty and the other was carrying oil, the agency added.
Images received indicate that the tanker truck's refrigeration system extinguished the fire within the first hour after the attack.
Tehran did not immediately acknowledge Iranian attacks on American ships.
Adm. Brad Cooper, commander of Centcom, said in a statement Saturday: "Let the message to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps be clear: If you fire on two of our ships, we will impose an even greater economic cost by destroying three of yours."
"We will not hesitate to defend American forces and, if necessary, destroy Iran's limited and vulnerable oil fleet."
Central Command, which oversees US military operations in the Middle East, said the three Iranian tankers were "part of a multimillion-dollar parallel network that funds the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and its regional allies."
The attacks come almost a week after renewed clashes between the US and Iran, which followed a period of relative calm between the warring sides.
The US resumed attacks on Sunday when it said it had hit two rocket launchers to prevent them from being used to lay naval mines in the Strait of Hormuz.
On Tuesday, President Donald Trump said the US had launched a new "very heavy attack" but said the fighting would not last "very long."
The attacks prompted Iran to retaliate against US targets in the region, including in the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Kuwait and Jordan.
On Thursday, US Vice President JD Vance also addressed Iran's allegations that American strikes killed at least four people, including two children, at a wedding in southern Iran.
He said he was "extremely skeptical" of reports of the alleged attack, but confirmed that the US would investigate the case.
The Iranian Red Crescent Society said shrapnel from a missile hit a ceremony held at a residence in Sirik on Tuesday, prompting Tehran to declare the incident a "war crime."
The 60-day ceasefire between the US and Iran formally expired last month, with little sign of a new diplomatic agreement on the horizon.
Days after the ceasefire ended, Trump said the US would launch tougher economic measures against Iran, as well as any country that aids or does business with it.
The United States and Israel launched the first wide-ranging strikes against Iran on February 28, with Iran responding with attacks on Israel, American bases and allied states in the Gulf, and effectively closing the Strait of Hormuz to maritime traffic.
The conflict in the straits has raised energy prices around the world. And, ahead of the US midterm elections in November, Trump faces pressure over how much the war is costing American consumers.
