Three Iranian oil tankers have been hit by US forces, including one near Kharg Island, the center of Iran’s oil-export network, US Central Command said.
The strikes came after Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps fired ballistic missiles at two US Navy vessels, according to Central Command.
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“Let the message to the IRGC be clear: If you shoot at two of our ships, we will impose an even higher economic cost – taking out three of yours,” said Admiral Brad Cooper, head of US Central Command.
Tasnim, Iran’s semi-official news agency, had earlier reported that four US missiles struck a tanker near Kharg’s anchorage. Citing local sources, the agency said there were no casualties and that the vessel’s crew was being evacuated.
Central Command said no American personnel were injured in the strikes
Iranian authorities had not immediately issued an official statement.
The exchange marked another sharp escalation in a conflict that has intensified over the past week. The confrontation began after the US launched strikes on Iran in February, disrupting global energy supplies and fueling opposition among a majority of Americans ahead of congressional elections in November.
Trump’s threats over Kharg Island
US President Donald Trump warned on 31 August, in a brief social media post accompanied by an AI-generated video, that Kharg Island was being “blown to smithereens”.
Iranian officials have promised a forceful response if the island comes under attack.
Iran is the third-largest producer in the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries and, before the war, sent 90% of its crude exports through Kharg Island. Those shipments have been disrupted since the US blockade of Iranian oil exports began in mid-April.
Mr Trump said on 11 June that he wanted to seize control of Kharg Island, before later indicating that a planned US military operation there was off the table for the time being. His remarks came days before Tehran and Washington signed an interim agreement on 17 June aimed at ending the war.
A US strike on Kharg Island would place further strain on Iran’s oil sector and an economy already buckling under the effects of the US naval blockade.
The US imposed the blockade on Iranian ports after Iran effectively closed the Strait of Hormuz, a vital shipping route that carried one-fifth of the world’s oil supply before the war.
Brent crude futures ended Friday at $96.28 a barrel, their highest closing price since 24 July, as rising Middle East tensions intensified concerns over global supplies.
