IRAN – The US military says it has hit three Iran-linked oil tankers after ballistic missiles were launched towards two of its warships in the region. US Central Command (Centcom) said on Saturday it had "permanently disabled" a tanker near Kharg Island and another near the Strait of Hormuz, and "completely destroyed" a third in the Gulf of Oman.
Centcom said it "successfully evaded" multiple attacks from the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) targeting a US aircraft carrier and guided-missile destroyer. No American troops were harmed, it said in a statement. Iranian state media earlier reported that one of its tankers had been struck off the coast of Kharg Island. Tehran did not immediately acknowledge attacks on US ships.
Admiral Brad Cooper, Centcom's commander, said in a statement on Saturday: "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"."We will not hesitate to defend American forces, and if necessary, destroy Iran's limited and exposed oil fleet". Centcom, which oversees US military operations in the Middle East, claimed that the three Iranian oil tankers were "part of a multibillion-dollar shadow network that funds the IRGC and its regional proxies".
The strikes come nearly a week after renewed attacks between the US and Iran, which followed a period of relative calm between the warring sides. The US and Israel first launched wide-ranging strikes on Iran on 28 February, with Iran responding by attacking Israel, US bases and allied states in the Gulf, and effectively closing the Strait of Hormuz to marine traffic. The conflict over the strait has raised energy prices globally. And, ahead of the US midterm elections in November, Trump is facing pressure over how much the war is costing American consumers. (BBC)
