U.S. military forces destroyed five Iranian crude oil tankers on Tuesday, Sept. 8, officials said.
The strikes targeted five tankers linked to Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), according to U.S. Central Command, the arm of the military overseeing operations in the Middle East. Central Command shared footage of the strikes showing the aft, or rear, part of the massive non-military vessels.
Military authorities said they issued a warning to crews beforehand, telling them to abandon ship. It’s unclear if anyone was still aboard the vessels. Iranian leaders issued no immediate public response to the strikes.
The strikes come amid an escalating round of attacks in the region. According to Central Command, U.S. forces targeted the vessels
in response to two Iranian attacks on a Navy vessel over the past two days.
American forces also struck two Iranian tankers on Sept. 5. Those earlier strikes came in response to an Iranian attack on a Navy vessel as well, military officials said.
The escalating back and forth between the two sides began on Aug. 30 after nearly a month-long pause in the fighting. American officials said they struck Iranian military forces that were preparing to set mines in the Strait of Hormuz.
IRGC forces responded by launching an attack on U.S. air bases in Jordan with ballistic missiles, Iranian media reported.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: US strikes Iran, destroys 5 oil tankers amid escalating war
