The United States military says it struck three Iranian oil tankers in the Gulf of Oman and near Iran’s Kharg island after Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps launched ballistic missiles toward two US Navy warships in regional waters.
US Central Command said the vessels were linked to a multibillion-dollar network that finances the IRGC and its “regional proxies.” It said a US aircraft carrier and a guided-missile destroyer evaded multiple attacks and that no US personnel were injured.
What CENTCOM said happened
CENTCOM said the Iranian missiles were fired at two US warships patrolling regional waters. The command said the American ships evaded the attacks before the US response against the oil carriers.
Admiral Brad Cooper, the CENTCOM commander, said the strikes were intended to impose an economic cost on the IRGC. He said the United States would defend its forces and could destroy Iran’s exposed oil fleet if necessary.
A wider conflict with economic effects
The tanker strikes came a day after US President Donald Trump described the conflict as “small potatoes.” The conflict has killed 18 US service members and contributed to a rise in global energy prices, according to the supplied account.
The United States and Iran have exchanged military and economic pressure as negotiations to end the six-month war involving the US and Israel have collapsed. The two countries also exchanged attacks almost a week ago after a month without direct confrontations.
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