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🇮🇪 Ireland /Conflict & Security

US Strikes Three Iranian Oil Tankers Near Kharg Island

From RTÉ News · () English

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

At a glance

Newswire Named sources Ongoing story
  • US Central Command said American forces struck three Iranian oil tankers, including one near Kharg Island, after Iran’s Revolutionary Guard launched ballistic missiles at two US Navy ships.
  • Central Command said no US personnel were harmed, while Iranian media reported no casualties and the evacuation of a tanker crew.
  • The attacks followed a week of escalation around Iran’s oil exports and Kharg Island, driving renewed concerns about global energy supplies.

The United States has struck three Iranian oil tankers, including one off Kharg Island, Iran’s main oil export hub, according to US Central Command. The command said the attacks followed the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps’ launch of ballistic missiles at two US Navy ships.

“Let the message to the IRGC be clear: If you shoot at two of our ships, we will impose an even higher economic cost, taking out three of yours,” Admiral Brad Cooper, the head of US Central Command, said.

Iranian semi-official news agency Tasnim had earlier reported that four US missiles hit a tanker at Kharg’s anchorage. It quoted local sources as saying there were no casualties and that the crew was being evacuated. Central Command said no American personnel were harmed. Iranian authorities had not immediately issued an official announcement.

Let the message to the IRGC be clear: If you shoot at two of our ships, we will impose an even higher economic cost, taking out three of yours.

· Admiral Brad CooperThe head of US Central Command described the strikes as a response to Iranian missile attacks on two US Navy ships.

The exchange came after a week of escalating attacks in a conflict that began when the United States launched strikes on Iran in February. The fighting has disrupted energy supplies and faced opposition from a majority of Americans ahead of congressional elections in November.

Kharg Island has become a particular focus of the confrontation. President Donald Trump said in a social media post on Aug. 31 that the island was being “blown to smithereens,” while Iranian authorities vowed a strong response if it were attacked. Iran exported 90% of its crude through Kharg before the war, but those flows have been disrupted since a US blockade of Iranian oil exports began in mid-April.

The United States imposed the blockade after Iran effectively closed the Strait of Hormuz, a waterway that carried one-fifth of the world’s oil supply before the war. Brent crude futures closed Friday at $96.28 a barrel, their highest level since July 24, as Middle East tensions fueled concerns over global supply.

blown to smithereens

· Donald TrumpTrump used the phrase in a social media post referring to the possible destruction of Kharg Island.
About this summary

Originally published by RTÉ News in English. 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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