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🇵🇦 Panama /Conflict & Security

US Says It Destroyed Three Iranian Oil Tankers as Tehran Threatens Retaliation

From TVN Panamá · () Spanish

Translated from Spanish and summarized by DistantNews. Read the original for the full story.

At a glance

News Official statement Ongoing story
  • The United States said it destroyed three Iranian oil tankers near Khark Island and in the Gulf of Oman after Iranian forces fired on US warships.
  • US Central Command said the vessels belonged to a clandestine network that financed Iran’s Revolutionary Guards and reported no American casualties.
  • Iran condemned the attacks as illegal and aggressive and warned that further strikes on US military vessels could be more severe and expand.

The United States says it destroyed three Iranian oil tankers after Iran’s Revolutionary Guards opened fire on American warships, while Tehran warns that any continuation of the bombardment will bring tougher retaliation.

US Central Command said the tankers were attacked off Khark Island and in the Gulf of Oman. One vessel was struck after its crew had been ordered to abandon ship. Video released by Centcom showed fireballs following missile impacts on the vessels.

Let the message to the IRGC be clear: if they fire on two of our ships, we will impose an even greater economic cost by eliminating three of theirs.

· Admiral Brad CooperThe Centcom commander described the US rationale for destroying the three tankers.

The US military said the targets formed part of “a multibillion-dollar clandestine network that funds” Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and its regional partners. No American soldiers were wounded. Centcom commander Admiral Brad Cooper said the operation was intended to impose an economic cost on the Guards.

“Let the message to the IRGC be clear: if they fire on two of our ships, we will impose an even greater economic cost by eliminating three of theirs,” Cooper said.

The confrontation remains part of the war that began on Feb. 28 with a US and Israeli offensive against Iran. Iran maintains tight control of the Strait of Hormuz, while Washington continues its counter-blockade of Iranian ports. The United States is seeking to squeeze Iran economically while keeping open the possibility of a larger military operation.

will be harsher than before and could spread

· Khatam al-AnbiyaIran’s joint central military command warned of further attacks if hostilities continued.

Iran’s diplomacy ministry strongly denounced the strikes on its main oil port, calling them illegal and aggressive actions. The joint central military command, Khatam al-Anbiya, warned that attacks on US military vessels in the region “will be harsher than before and could spread” if hostilities continue.

Tehran said Thursday that it had attacked US military bases in Kuwait and the United Arab Emirates in retaliation for the deaths of civilians at a wedding hit by enemy bombing. Vice President JD Vance said the incident was under investigation but expressed skepticism about Iran’s account. The conflict has become increasingly unpopular among Americans as midterm elections approach, while President Donald Trump described the war as “a piece of cake” and said he viewed it as a limited military conflict.

a piece of cake

· Donald TrumpThe US president used the phrase to characterize the war with Iran.
About this summary

Originally published by TVN Panamá in Spanish. Translated, summarized, and contextualized automatically by DistantNews, with a note on how the source frames the story. Not individually reviewed before publishing. How this works.

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