US Escalates Tanker War with Iran; IRGC Announces Response

The US military struck three Iranian crude oil tankers, one of them off the coast of Kharg Island, in response to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) launching ballistic missiles toward two US warships, an aircraft carrier and a destroyer, in what appeared to be an escalation of the tanker war in the Strait of Hormuz.

US Central Command (CENTCOM) stated that it disabled a tanker near Kharg Island, the main hub for Iranian oil exports, and permanently disabled the “Stark 1” near Jask, east of the Strait of Hormuz, while completely destroying the “Kailo” in the Gulf of Oman after evacuating its crew.

CENTCOM Commander Admiral Brad Cooper said that targeting two US vessels would be met with a “greater economic cost” by taking three Iranian ships out of service, hinting at the destruction of Iran’s “limited and exposed oil fleet.”

US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth warned that the United States would destroy and sink Iranian oil tankers if Tehran continued firing on US ships.

The UK Maritime Trade Operations agency reported that several commercial vessels in the northern Arabian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman came under fire, causing disruptions, without confirming any casualties or environmental damage.

US President Donald Trump stated that Washington controls the “Strait of Hormuz” and downplayed its future importance, while also threatening to strike “Mount Axe” near Natanz “very soon” if Washington detects developments that raise its concerns.

The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) Navy announced that it targeted three oil tankers that were transiting an unauthorized route in the Strait of Hormuz, in addition to three ships linked to the United States.

The IRGC-affiliated Tasnim News Agency reported that the IRGC Navy stated in a declaration that the three tankers struck in the strait were transiting the waterway via an “unauthorized route,” adding that the other three ships were hit in other areas. Following this operation, the IRGC Navy issued a stern warning to all vessels in the Gulf and around the Strait of Hormuz, urging them “not to be misled by the US military’s deception, to avoid any suspicious movements aimed at transiting unauthorized waterways, or else they will be targeted.”

Earlier, Iranian media reported that three Iranian oil tankers came under attack by the US military off the southern coasts of Iran.

Following the incident, Ebrahim Zolfaghari, spokesperson for Iran’s main military command, the “Seal of the Prophets” Headquarters, warned the United States to cease its attacks on Iranian ships as well as the naval blockade imposed on the country. The IRGC also announced that it had targeted a US unmanned naval vessel that was attempting to enter the Strait of Hormuz, hours after the exchange of strikes between Tehran and Washington.

In a statement broadcast on Iranian television, it said: “The valiant Navy of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps targeted a US military unmanned vessel that was attempting to enter the protected area in the Strait of Hormuz.”