U.S. Military Reports Destruction of Five Iranian Oil Tankers After Missile Attacks

The U.S. Central Command announced that its forces destroyed five Iranian crude oil tankers after Iran’s Revolutionary Guard launched two ballistic missile attacks on a U.S. warship over the past two days. Iranian state television confirmed that at least three tankers near the southern port of Jask and near Kharg Island were hit and that crews were being evacuated by lifeboat.

"Iran continues to try to hit U.S. naval ships. And for every time they do that or try to do that, they’re going to lose tankers," Secretary of State Marco Rubio said to reporters in Colombia.

An expert on Iran at Israel’s Institute for National Security Studies warned that the reciprocal strikes increase the risk of further retaliation and could affect the global economy, noting that “there is no kinetic solution to the Strait of Hormuz problem.”

Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Navy warned oil tanker crews near ports in Kuwait and Bahrain to leave their vessels, claiming those ports could become targets in retaliation for the U.S. attacks. The Guard also accused the two Gulf states of hosting U.S. forces.

The strikes follow a U.S. statement on Saturday that it had hit three Iranian tankers after the missile attacks and warned it would destroy Iran’s “limited and exposed oil fleet” if necessary. The United States also announced new sanctions on elements of Iran’s aviation sector, targeting airlines and cargo providers.

Both nations are competing for control of the Strait of Hormuz, a key oil transit route that moves roughly one-fifth of global supplies. Rising oil prices have added political pressure ahead of upcoming U.S. elections.