US Strikes Three Iranian Oil Tankers After Missile Attacks

Washington, D۔C. (Terror Monitor) — The U.S. military said on Saturday that it had struck three Iranian oil tankers after the Iranian navy targeted U.S. warships with missiles. The U.S. military warned that it would destroy Iran’s limited and vulnerable tanker fleet if necessary.

According to the U.S. military, a U.S. aircraft carrier and a destroyer successfully countered what it described as “multiple unprovoked attacks” by Iran during routine patrols in the region. No U.S. personnel were injured in the incidents, it said.

The military said that, in the retaliatory operation, two Iranian oil tankers were completely disabled, while a third vessel, which was empty, was destroyed.

The U.S. military said the tankers were part of a covert network that finances Iran’s powerful Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and its armed allies across the region.

Earlier, Iran had accused the United States of attacking an Iranian oil tanker near Kharg Island in the Persian Gulf.

According to the U.S. military, one tanker was targeted near Kharg Island, another near Jask, and the third, which was empty, was struck in the Gulf of Oman. The U.S. military also released video footage of the attacks.

The strikes came about a week after fighting between the United States and Iran resumed. After a month of relative calm, the war that began with U.S. and Israeli strikes on February 28 has once again intensified.

Both sides are seeking to inflict military and economic damage on each other, while negotiations aimed at ending the war have also failed.

U.S. Central Command chief Admiral Brad Cooper said, “We will not hesitate to defend U.S. forces and, if necessary, we will destroy Iran’s limited and vulnerable tanker fleet.”