Iran launched ballistic missiles at the US aircraft carrier, CENTCOM confirmed there were no casualties

CENTCOM confirmed that Iran launched many ballistic missiles at US aircraft carriers and destroyers, confirming there were no casualties in the incident.

In a statement published by IRNA news agency early this morning, Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) accused US warships of participating in a maritime blockade campaign and "harassed" the country's ships, confirming that they had conducted a raid and forced two enemy naval vessels to "leave the combat area".

Lieutenant Colonel Ebrahim Zolfaqari, spokesman for Khatam al-Anbiya Central Command, the "supreme brain" of Iran's armed forces, warned that the country will react more fiercely if the US military continues its "aggressive actions".

"The scale of Iran's response is likely to expand if the US does not stop its current behavior," he said.

Central Command (CENTCOM), the agency in charge of US forces' operations in the Middle East, previously confirmed that the IRGC launched multiple ballistic missiles against two US naval ships patrolling the area. "An aircraft carrier and a destroyer successfully avoided a series of attacks from Iran. No US military personnel were injured in the incident," the agency said.

US officials did not specify the aircraft carrier. This country currently has two aircraft carriers in the area including USS George Washington and USS George H.W. Bush.

CENTCOM announced that it had retaliated by attacking three Iranian oil tankers, including the Downy off Kharg Island, the Stark 1 near Jask Island and the Kylo in the Gulf of Oman. "These three ships are part of a multi-billion dollar underground network that funds the IRGC and proxy forces in the region," CENTCOM confirmed.

Video posted by the US military showed intense smoke and fire rising after the ships were hit by missiles.

"If you shoot at two of our ships, we will force you to pay a higher economic price, by wiping out three ships," CENTCOM commander Brad Cooper declared.

However, the IRGC later still reacted firmly, declaring that its navy had "targeted three oil tankers entering illegal routes in the Strait of Hormuz and three ships linked to the US in other areas", warning other ships not to intentionally go through unlicensed routes.

Iran's Foreign Ministry also harshly criticized the US for the raids on oil tankers, calling them "illegal and aggressive actions".

CENTCOM has not responded to a request for comment on the statements from the IRGC. The British Maritime Trade Coordination Authority has not recorded information about civilian tankers being targeted in the Strait of Hormuz.

The latest spiral of conflict broke out from US raids last week, taking place in the context of the war between the US and Iran still in a deadlock after more than 6 months. Tehran continues to maintain tight control over the Strait of Hormuz while Washington constantly increases pressure with a counter-blockade campaign targeting enemy seaports.

In addition to military action, the US is also seeking to tighten Iran's economy by announcing sanctions targeting entities with financial links to the country, aiming to force Tehran to submit.