US Strikes Three Iranian Oil Tankers After IRGC Attacks American Warships

The US says it struck three Iranian oil tankers after failed IRGC attacks on American warships, escalating the military confrontation around Hormuz...

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The United States military on Saturday struck and disabled three Iranian crude oil tankers after the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) launched attacks targeting two US Navy warships, according to US Central Command (CENTCOM).

CENTCOM said the operation was carried out on Saturday after American forces successfully evaded what it described as multiple Iranian attacks. The command said no US personnel were injured in the incident.

According to CENTCOM, the vessels targeted were the M/T Downy, struck off the coast of Iran’s Kharg Island, and the M/T Stark 1, which was hit near Jask. Both vessels were described as IRGC-linked crude oil carriers and were “permanently disabled”, the US military said.

The third vessel, the M/T Kylo, was an unladen

crude oil carrier in the Gulf of Oman. CENTCOM said the crew was ordered to abandon the ship before US forces struck it at several critical points.

“Following Iran’s failed attacks, CENTCOM permanently disabled the IRGC crude oil carriers M/T Downy off the coast of Kharg Island and M/T Stark 1 near Jask. American forces also completely destroyed the unladen crude oil carrier M/T Kylo… in the Gulf of Oman, striking the vessel in multiple critical locations to render it inoperable after the crew was directed to abandon ship,” CENTCOM said in a statement on X.

US Says Tankers Fund IRGC Network

CENTCOM described the three vessels as part of what it called a multibillion-dollar “shadow network” used to generate money for the IRGC and its regional allies. The latest strikes mark another escalation in the ongoing confrontation between Washington and Tehran, particularly around the strategically important Strait of Hormuz.

The US has increasingly targeted Iran’s maritime and military capabilities following attacks on commercial shipping and American forces in the region. Earlier this week, US forces also carried out strikes against IRGC targets, including air-defence systems, radar facilities and maritime assets.