U.S. forces attacked three Iranian oil tankers this Saturday, the U.S. Central Command said, including one off the coast of Kharg Island, near Iran’s main oil export hub.
The strikes came after Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) launched ballistic missiles against two U.S. Navy ships, Central Command said.
“Let the message to the IRGC be clear: if you attack two of our ships, we will impose an even greater economic cost—destroying three of yours,” said Admiral Brad Cooper, head of U.S. Central Command.
Tasnim, the semi-official Iranian news agency, had previously reported that four American missiles struck a tanker in the Kharg anchorage area. Tasnim cited local sources saying there were no casualties and that the tanker crew was being evacuated.
No American crew members were injured, Central Command said.
There was no immediate official statement from Iranian authorities.
The exchange of attacks follows an escalation last week that threatens to deepen a conflict that has stretched on since the United States launched strikes against Iran in February, disrupting global energy supplies and drawing opposition from most Americans ahead of the November congressional elections.
Trump Threats
U.S. President Donald Trump said on August 31, in a one-line post on social media, accompanied by an AI-generated video, that Kharg Island was being “reduced to pieces.” Iranian authorities promised a strong response if Kharg is attacked.
Iran is the third-largest producer in the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) and exported 90% of its oil through Kharg Island before the war, but flows have been disrupted since the United States oil export ban on Iranian oil began in mid-April.
Trump said on June 11 that he wanted to take Kharg Island, but later said that a U.S. military operation at the site was off the table for now, days before Tehran and Washington signed a provisional agreement aimed at ending the war.
A U.S. attack on Kharg would further pressure Iran’s oil industry and its economy in general, which is already strained by the American naval blockade.
The United States imposed its blockade on Iranian ports after Iran effectively closed the Strait of Hormuz, a key navigable route that carried about a fifth of the world’s oil supply before the war.
