US strikes three Iranian oil tankers in response to missile attack on warships

US forces struck three Iranian oil tankers after its navy warships were targeted with ballistic missiles, marking the latest escalation in the conflict after a brief lull in fighting. Attacks in the region had settled down a little over a month ago, with the US opting to exert economic pressure on its adversary, until strike on rocket sites on Iran's Lark Island reignited attacks between the two countries. In a statement, the US military said on Saturday that an American aircraft carrier and a destroyer evaded “multiple unprovoked Iranian attacks” while patrolling in the region and no US personnel were hurt. It wasn't clear when the Iranian missiles were fired. In response, the US said it had targeted three oil tankers it said were part of Tehran's "shadow network" helping to fund Iran’s powerful Revolutionary Guard (IRGC) and its armed proxies in the region. The statement said that two Iranian oil carriers were “permanently disabled” and the third, unladen one, was destroyed. Putin orders a 72-hour pause in strikes on Kyiv as US envoys arrive in Moscow Argentina moves to enforce oil sanctions over Falkland Islands tensions “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,” said Admiral Brad Cooper, a commander for US Central Command. “We will not hesitate to defend American forces, and if necessary, destroy Iran’s limited and exposed oil fleet.” A spokesperson for Iran’s joint military command later warned that strikes against US military ships would be more severe, if the US continues to interfere with Iranian shipping, the country's state broadcaster reported. Iran targeting a US aircraft carrier with a ballistic missile “indicates that Tehran is becoming increasingly willing to accept risks it previously sought to avoid, including directly threatening some of the most important US military assets in the region,” said Danny Citrinowicz, an Iran expert at Israel’s Institute for National Security Studies. Earlier, Iranian state television had said that four US missiles had struck a tanker about six miles from Kharg Island, home to a terminal through which the country exports most of its oil. Kharg Island has been repeatedly targeted during the war, including in U.S. strikes on military sites there in March. The US, which shared footage of the strikes on social media, said that one tanker was struck off Kharg Island and another was struck near Jask, east of the Strait of Hormuz. The unladen tanker was hit in the Gulf of Oman, and the US said its crew had been “directed to abandon ship.” After the US statement, Iran’s state broadcaster reported the attack of the two other tankers, saying their crews had evacuated. Iran's Foreign Ministry called the attacks a war crime, and said that the consequences for continued US aggression, including “economic warfare,” would rest with Washington and its allies. It marks the latest escalation in the conflict after fighting had largely died down earlier in the summer. Credit: @CentCom / X Between the war and the disabling of ships during the US blockade of Iranian ports, it's not immediately clear how many Iranian oil tankers have been targeted. On May 8, the US military said that it fired “precision munitions” into the smokestacks of two Iranian oil tankers, both unladen, The Trump administration appears to have adopted a dual-prong approach to the conflict, responding militarily to attacks on the strait while going after foreign financial institutions that handle Iran’s money. US Vice President JD Vance on Thursday said that there was no prospect for renewed talks as long as Iran goes after ships, while noting that major military operations ended in July. But Tehran's hardline new senior leaders have signalled the willingness to dig in after weathering decades of sanctions. Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian's government has said, however, that it favours a negotiated end to the war. Subscribe free to our weekly newsletter for exclusive and original coverage from ITV News. Direct to your inbox every Friday morning. Iran has found ways over the years to circumvent sanctions – and now the US naval blockade – and still manages to get its oil to buyers to help ease growing economic pressures, partly by using its shadow fleet. Meanwhile, the issue that helped lead to the war – Iran's nuclear program – was meant to be addressed in negotiations that fell apart soon after the US and Iran signed a memorandum of understanding in mid-June. Now diplomats say the US, the UK, France and Germany seek to refer Iran to the UN Security Council for failure to comply with its nuclear non-proliferation obligations. Instead, Tehran's new leverage focuses on the Strait of Hormuz, a waterway that is crucial to global oil and natural gas shipments over which Iran has managed to maintain a grip since the war began in late February. The US military has been helping to guide ships through the strait as Tehran asserts control and targets some vessels, but overall traffic remains low. 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