The United States military has said that it destroyed three Iranian oil tankers after accusing Tehran of launching failed missile attacks against US naval vessels, further escalating the confrontation between the two countries.
The latest exchange of fire came as the six-month conflict remains deadlocked, with Iran maintaining pressure on the strategic Strait of Hormuz while Washington intensifies efforts to blockade Iranian ports and squeeze the country’s economy.
The US Central Command (CENTCOM) said on Saturday that American forces targeted three crude oil carriers allegedly connected to Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).
According to CENTCOM, the action followed what it described as unsuccessful Iranian attacks against US warships.
“Following Iran’s failed attacks, CENTCOM permanently disabled the IRGC crude oil carriers M/T Downy off the coast of Kharg Island and M/T Stark 1 near Jask,” the command said in a statement.
It added that US forces also destroyed the M/T Kylo, an unladen crude carrier in the Gulf of Oman, after its crew was ordered to abandon the vessel.
CENTCOM said American forces struck the ship at several critical points, leaving it unable to operate.
Footage released by the US military showed large explosions and flames engulfing the vessels as projectiles hit the ships.
The command alleged that the three tankers were part of a “multibillion-dollar shadow network” used to finance the IRGC and its allied groups across the region.
US officials said the military action was accompanied by broader economic measures aimed at weakening Tehran.
Washington has imposed additional sanctions on individuals and entities accused of maintaining financial links with Iran, as the Trump administration seeks to further restrict the country’s access to international markets.
CENTCOM commander Admiral Brad Cooper defended the strikes, saying the US response was intended to impose a greater economic cost on Iran.
“If you shoot at two of our ships, we will impose an even higher economic cost — taking out three of yours,” Cooper said.
The strikes came hours after Iranian media reported explosions near Kharg Island, a major Iranian oil hub in the Gulf.
Tensions had already intensified earlier in the week after Tehran claimed its forces attacked US military bases in Kuwait and the United Arab Emirates.
Iran said the attacks were carried out in retaliation for civilian deaths at a wedding that Tehran blamed on an American strike.
US Vice President JD Vance said the alleged wedding attack was under investigation but expressed doubts about the Iranian account.
The Iranian Red Crescent had said four people were killed in the strike in a southern coastal town on Tuesday night.
Trump Administration Plays Down Conflict
Despite the continuing military exchanges, the Trump administration has sought to minimise the political significance of the six-month confrontation, which has become increasingly unpopular in the United States ahead of the midterm elections.
Vance said he would not describe the situation as a war, claiming that there was currently “no active shooting”, despite the latest attacks involving American and Iranian forces.
President Donald Trump similarly dismissed the scale of the conflict, describing the Iran war as “small potatoes” for the United States.
“It’s not a big thing,” Trump said.
Iran, however, has signalled that it intends to intensify its response.
The country’s security chief, Mohsen Rezaei, warned Washington that Tehran had adopted a “new strategy” that would, he said, “shatter your foundations”.
At the centre of the confrontation is the Strait of Hormuz, a vital global shipping route through which a significant share of the world’s oil supplies previously passed.
Washington has been increasing pressure on Tehran over its restrictions on shipping through the waterway, while Iran has maintained its grip over the strategic passage.
A fragile ceasefire broke down in July following attacks on commercial vessels in the region.
Trump has repeatedly threatened to assert US sovereignty over the Strait of Hormuz, including posting a map depicting the waterway as “new US territory.”
Vance has also said Washington would not resume negotiations with Tehran until Iran stops attacks on commercial shipping passing through the strait.
With rising fuel prices emerging as a potential political liability for Republicans ahead of the midterm elections, the Trump administration has increasingly emphasised signs that oil shipments through the waterway are recovering.
Vance said on Thursday that Iran’s ability to control the strategic passage had effectively been eliminated.
“Their control over the Strait of Hormuz is effectively gone,” he said.
