The United States military said it carried out strikes on three Iranian oil tankers on Saturday after American naval vessels came under what it described as repeated missile attacks in the region.
According to the US military, an American aircraft carrier and a destroyer were targeted in several Iranian attacks while conducting operations at sea. The vessels were able to avoid the attacks, and no American personnel were reported injured.
The Pentagon said two of the Iranian tankers were permanently put out of operation, while a third vessel, which was not carrying cargo at the time, was destroyed.
US officials said the targeted vessels were linked to a network used to generate revenue for Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps and armed groups allied with Tehran across the Middle East.
The head of US Central Command, Adm Brad Cooper, said Washington was prepared to take further action if American forces continued to face attacks.
He said the US would defend its personnel and warned that Iran’s oil fleet could face further military action if necessary.
Strikes reported near Kharg, Jask and Gulf of Oman
The US military said one of the tankers was struck near Kharg Island, a key Iranian oil export hub in the Gulf.
Another vessel was reportedly targeted near Jask, while the third strike took place in the Gulf of Oman.
The US also released what it described as video footage showing the military operations.
Earlier, Iranian media reported that an Iranian tanker had been attacked near Kharg Island on Saturday morning.
Tasnim, a semi-official Iranian news outlet affiliated with the Revolutionary Guards, said the vessel’s crew survived and were being evacuated.
The latest confrontation marks a further escalation in the renewed hostilities between Washington and Tehran.
Fighting resumes after weeks of relative calm
The strikes came less than a week after the United States and Iran resumed military exchanges following roughly a month of relative calm.
The wider conflict began after US and Israeli attacks on Iran in February, triggering an extended period of intermittent military confrontation between the two sides.
Diplomatic efforts aimed at easing tensions have since broken down, leaving the region exposed to renewed attacks.
The latest escalation has also revived concerns over civilian casualties from previous military operations.
Iranian officials said a strike earlier this week hit a wedding celebration in southern Iran, killing four people, including a child, and leaving dozens injured.
US Vice-President JD Vance was questioned about whether an American strike was responsible for the deaths and reportedly said that “sometimes things happen”.
The incident has added to criticism of the military campaign and intensified calls for greater scrutiny of strikes that have reportedly affected civilian areas.
Questions persist over earlier school strike
Renewed fighting has also drawn attention to a February 28 attack in Minab, Iran, which struck a school compound and killed at least 156 people, most of them children, according to reports.
A preliminary US military inquiry reportedly concluded that the attack may have resulted from a targeting mistake after outdated coordinates identified the location as part of a nearby Revolutionary Guards naval facility.
The Pentagon had previously said it was investigating the incident, but a full report on the findings has not been made public.
With the latest strikes on Iranian tankers and the earlier missile attacks on US naval forces, tensions between Washington and Tehran appear to have entered another dangerous phase, raising fears of a broader confrontation across the Gulf and surrounding waterways.
