US and Iran exchange strikes on vessels near Strait of Hormuz
US forces struck three Iranian oil carriers after missiles were fired at two US Navy ships, while Iran said it targeted tankers on unauthorised routes.
Tehran, Iran. US and Iranian forces exchanged attacks on vessels in waters around Iran on Saturday, with US strikes hitting three Iranian oil carriers and Iran reporting attacks on three tankers in the Strait of Hormuz.
The incidents followed Iranian ballistic missile launches at two US Navy ships, according to US Central Command.
US strikes and Iranian response
US Central Command said it struck three Iranian vessels, including one off Kharg Island near Iran’s oil export hub, after the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps launched ballistic missiles at two US Navy ships.
“Let the message to the IRGC be clear: If you shoot at two of our ships, we will impose an even higher economic cost — taking out three of yours,” Admiral Brad Cooper, head of US Central Command, said.
Central Command said no US personnel were harmed.
The IRGC threatened to intensify strikes against US military vessels in the region and later said it had targeted three tankers as well as three US-linked vessels in other areas.
“Do not be deceived by the ‘terrorist’ US military and refrain from any suspicious movement aimed at passing through unauthorized waterways,” the IRGC Navy said in a statement carried on Iranian state television. “Otherwise, you will be targeted.”
Tanker reported hit near Kharg
Tasnim, Iran’s semi-official news agency, reported that four US missiles hit a tanker near Kharg’s anchorage. It cited local sources as saying there were no casualties and that the tanker’s crew was being evacuated.
Wider escalation
The exchange followed an escalation over the past week in a conflict that has continued since the United States and Israel launched strikes on Iran in February. The conflict has disrupted global energy supplies and drawn opposition from a majority of Americans ahead of congressional elections in November.
The administration of US President Donald Trump has sought to shift towards an economic clampdown on Iran by widening sanctions, while Trump has kept open the possibility of military action.
On August 31, Trump posted a one-line message on social media accompanied by an AI-generated video depicting Kharg Island being “blown to smithereens.” Iranian authorities have vowed a strong response if Kharg is attacked.
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