WASHINGTON (AP) — The U.S. military destroyed five Iranian oil tankers in response to Iranian efforts to target a U.S. warship with ballistic missiles over the past two days, according to a statement from U.S. Central Command on Tuesday. The command reported that the U.S. warship successfully evaded the attempted attacks and continued patrolling regional waters without any harm to American personnel.
The tankers destroyed were identified as the Kivik, Charminar, Horizon 1, and Riesco in the Gulf of Oman, along with the vessel Derya, which was located near Kharg Island in the Strait of Hormuz. U.S. Central Command stated that the crews of the five vessels were instructed to abandon ship prior to the attacks.
This strike follows an incident three days prior when U.S. forces destroyed three Iranian oil tankers after Iranian Revolutionary Guards attempted to attack a U.S. aircraft carrier and destroyer. Iranian state television reported that U.S. forces attacked at least three Iranian oil tankers near the southern port of Jask and near Kharg Island in the Persian Gulf, also stating that the crews were evacuated.
The recent strikes are part of escalating tensions between Washington and Tehran, which have been ongoing for more than six months. Secretary of State Marco Rubio stated that the U.S. will respond to Iranian attacks, asserting, "Iran continues to try to hit U.S. naval ships. And for every time they do that or try to do that, they’re going to lose tankers."
Danny Citrinowicz, an Iran expert at Israel’s Institute for National Security Studies, cautioned that such retaliatory strikes could lead to further escalation and negatively impact the global economy. He remarked, "There is no kinetic solution to the Strait of Hormuz problem. Every attempt to impose one only brings Washington and Tehran closer to an escalation that may become increasingly difficult to control."
An Iranian state TV reporter in Jask reported that an Iranian tanker was struck near the coast of Yekbeni, with another explosion heard in the area, although the source and location were not immediately clear. State TV later indicated that a second tanker was attacked near waters off Jask, with crews being evacuated by lifeboat.
Additionally, Iranian state television reported that another tanker was attacked in the Kharg Island anchorage area, with the crew evacuated shortly after the strike. Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Navy warned crews of oil tankers near ports in Kuwait and Bahrain to leave their vessels immediately, citing potential targeting in retaliation for U.S. attacks on Iranian tankers. They accused Kuwait and Bahrain of hosting U.S. forces and aiding in the attacks.
On Saturday, the U.S. military had previously stated it struck three Iranian oil tankers after Navy warships were targeted with ballistic missiles, warning that it would destroy Iran’s limited and exposed oil fleet if necessary. Iran later announced plans to establish a new "exclusion zone" near the Strait of Hormuz for vessels intending to transit.
These strikes are part of a dual economic and military strategy by President Donald Trump as he seeks to resolve the ongoing conflict with Tehran. On the same day, the Trump administration imposed sanctions on additional elements of Iran’s aviation industry, targeting over two dozen commercial and private airlines as well as foreign cargo service providers in an effort to isolate Tehran from its trading partners.
Both the U.S. and Iran are vying for control over the Strait of Hormuz, through which approximately one-fifth of the world’s oil passed before the conflict began. Rising energy prices are presenting political challenges for Trump and his Republican Party ahead of the November midterm elections, with a barrel of international standard Brent crude briefly reaching $99.46 on Tuesday.
A U.S. blockade of Iranian ports has constrained the country’s economy by limiting its oil exports, while the American military has been assisting a limited number of ships in transiting a route through the Strait of Hormuz off Oman. Tehran has expressed a desire for ships to follow a route of its choosing through the strait, which was considered an international waterway prior to the conflict.