US hits three Iranian oil tankers after saying its warships were targeted

The United States military announced that it had struck three Iranian‑linked oil tankers in retaliation for Tehran’s targeting of two American warships in the region. Central Command said two vessels were “permanently disabled,” one of them near Iran’s key export hub of Kharg Island, while a third was “completely destroyed” in the Gulf of Oman. Iranian state broadcaster IRIB confirmed the attacks, noting that the crew of the tanker near Kharg Island was rescued in lifeboats, that the vessel’s cooling system extinguished the fire within an hour and that there were no casualties. The IRGC later claimed it had hit six ships in response – three oil tankers using “unauthorised” routes through the Strait of Hormuz and three vessels it described as “affiliated” with the United States in other areas.

The strikes mark a sharp escalation in a conflict that has revived after a brief lull, with both sides exchanging fire over the past week. The United States justified the operation by describing the three tankers as part of a “multi‑billion‑dollar shadow network” that finances the IRGC and its regional proxies, and it said it had successfully evaded earlier IRGC attacks aimed at a carrier and a guided‑missile destroyer. Iran, for its part, warned other ships against using the “unauthorised” strait routes, emphasizing the strategic importance of the Strait of Hormuz, which handles roughly 20 % of global oil and gas shipments and has been effectively closed since the war began in February.

The retaliation has broadened the geographic scope of the fighting, with Iranian strikes reported against U.S. interests in the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Kuwait and Jordan, and accusations of a U.S. missile hitting a wedding in southern Iran, which the Iranian Red Crescent called a war crime. President Trump has declared the strait “open” and pledged further heavy attacks, while Vice‑President JD Vance expressed skepticism about the wedding‑casualty claims but promised an investigation. The ongoing hostilities have pushed global energy prices higher, with U.S. diesel averaging $5.85 per gallon, and come as the 60‑day cease‑fire between the two nations expired, leaving diplomatic resolution uncertain.

⚡ Effects Interpreter