U.S. Navy strikes Iranian tankers after IRGC's attempted attacks on American warship
U.S. forces hit two Iranian oil tankers linked to the Revolutionary Guard after the group tried to attack a U.S. carrier and destroyer, prompting Tehran to warn vessels near Kuwait and Bahrain.
American forces in the Middle East struck two Iranian oil tankers that officials said are tied to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) after the militia attempted to target a U.S. aircraft carrier and a destroyer over the weekend. The IRGC attacks did not hit the U.S. vessels or cause injuries, a U.S. official said.
One strike hit a tanker near Kharg Island, Iran’s main oil terminal, while a second hit a tanker near the port city of Jask, according to Iranian state media. The U.S. response follows earlier incidents in which a U.S. vessel sank one tanker and disabled two others.
"Following the actions of the American military in targeting several Iranian oil tankers, we warn all oil tanker crews in the areas around the ports of Kuwait and Bahrain, which are hosting these forces and are complicit in their actions, to immediately evacuate their vessels, whether they are at anchor or docked as they will be targeted," the IRGC Navy said in a statement posted by the semi-official Fars news agency.
Iran has threatened to target oil tankers in Kuwait and Bahrain in retaliation. The Strait of Hormuz, through which about 20% of global oil shipments pass, has become a focal point of the confrontation, with both sides conducting attacks on commercial vessels.
On the same day, the U.S. announced new sanctions on more than two dozen Iranian airlines and cargo service providers, part of a broader effort to limit Tehran’s trade options. A U.S. naval blockade of Iranian ports continues to restrict Iran’s oil exports, while the United States assists a limited number of ships navigating a route through the Strait of Hormuz.