Iran says it struck tankers and U.S. vessels in the Strait of Hormuz

Iran says it struck oil tankers and U.S. vessels on Saturday in and around the Strait of Hormuz, according to Reuters. The claims add to a renewed exchange of attacks between the United States and Iran.

The naval arm of Iran’s Revolutionary Guard said it hit three oil tankers that, in its account, were using unauthorized routes through the strait. It also said it struck three other U.S. vessels elsewhere. The United States had not immediately confirmed the information.

The Revolutionary Guard warned vessels in the Persian Gulf and near the Strait of Hormuz about “suspicious movements.” The warning came after the U.S. military’s Central Command, or Centcom, said U.S. forces had struck three Iranian oil tankers on Saturday.

Centcom said one of those tankers was off Kharg Island, a key hub for Iran’s oil exports. The two sides have exchanged attacks as tensions in the Middle East have risen again.

The Strait of Hormuz sits at the center of the confrontation. It is a crucial maritime route for transporting oil around the world, giving military developments there significance beyond the immediate claims by Tehran and Washington.

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suspicious movements