Arabic version: الولايات المتحدة تقول إنها عطّلت ثلاث ناقلات نفط مرتبطة بإيران

According to BBC News, the US military says it struck three Iran-linked oil tankers after Tehran targeted two American warships in the region. US Central Command said it had “permanently disabled” two tankers, including one near Kharg Island, and “completely destroyed” a third in the Gulf of Oman. Centcom said it had successfully evaded multiple attacks by Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps on a US aircraft carrier and guided-missile destroyer, and that no American troops were harmed.

Iranian state media confirmed the strikes and reported no casualties in the attack near Kharg Island. It said footage showed the vessel’s cooling system extinguished the fire within an hour. Kharg Island hosts Iran’s main oil export terminal, through which about 90% of the country’s crude oil passes. Iranian outlet Irib said crews from the two tankers attacked in the Gulf of Oman reached shore in lifeboats; one tanker was empty and the other carried oil.

Irib later said the IRGC retaliated against six ships: three oil tankers using what it called “unauthorised” routes through the Strait of Hormuz, and three vessels “affiliated” with the US elsewhere. The strait has been effectively closed since the war began in February. President Donald Trump has said it is “open”, while the US military has helped ships navigate a southern route through Omani waters.

The attacks mark another escalation after fighting resumed nearly a week earlier, following a period of relative calm in the six-month war. A 60-day ceasefire formally expired last month without a further diplomatic settlement. The Strait of Hormuz had previously carried about 20% of global oil and liquefied natural gas supplies, and restrictions there have raised energy prices globally.