US claims it destroyed three Iranian oil tankers after attacks

The United States says it destroyed three Iranian oil tankers after what it described as failed missile attacks on American naval vessels, adding another sharp escalation to a six-month conflict between Washington and Tehran.

US Central Command said it targeted tankers linked to Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. It said the M/T Downy was disabled off Kharg Island and the M/T Stark 1 near Jask. The unladen M/T Kylo was struck several times in the Gulf of Oman after its crew was told to abandon the vessel, CENTCOM said.

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Following Iran’s failed attacks, CENTCOM permanently disabled the IRGC crude oil carriers M/T Downy off the coast of Kharg Island and M/T Stark 1 near Jask.

CENTCOM described the ships as part of “a multibillion-dollar shadow network that funds the IRGC and its regional proxies”. Video released by the command showed large fireballs and heavy flames after projectiles hit the vessels. The strikes followed attempts by Iran to attack US warships, according to the American account.

Admiral Brad Cooper, the CENTCOM commander, framed the action as a direct economic response. “If you shoot at two of our ships, we will impose an even higher economic cost, taking out three of yours,” he said.

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If you shoot at two of our ships, we will impose an even higher economic cost, taking out three of yours.

The clashes came as Iran maintained its hold over the Strait of Hormuz and Washington pursued a counter-blockade of Iranian ports. The United States also announced sanctions against entities with financial links to Iran, seeking to tighten pressure on the country’s economy.

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I wouldn’t call it a war.

Iranian media reported explosions near the oil hub of Kharg Island. Tehran said on Thursday that its forces had attacked US military bases in Kuwait and the United Arab Emirates, promising retaliation for civilian deaths at a wedding that it blamed on an American strike. The Iranian Red Crescent said four people died in the alleged strike, which US Vice President JD Vance said was under investigation. Vance said he was skeptical of the reports.

The Trump administration has sought to minimize the conflict’s significance as it faces growing domestic unpopularity ahead of midterm elections. Vance said he would not call it a war and claimed there was “no active shooting”, despite the reported exchanges. President Donald Trump described the conflict as “small potatoes” for the United States and said, “It’s not a big thing.”

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It’s not a big thing.