US military hits 3 Iranian oil tankers after saying Navy warships were targeted with missiles

The U.S. military announced it had targeted three Iranian oil tankers on Saturday, in response to Navy warships being struck by Iranian missiles. The strikes came just a day after President Donald Trump downplayed the conflict as "small potatoes." The strikes come after six months of intermittent war between the two nations, which began with U.S. and Israeli attacks on February 28.

Neither side has been able to negotiate a resolution, and both have been attempting to cause economic and military damage. The military said a U.S. aircraft carrier and a destroyer evaded "multiple unprovoked Iranian attacks" while patrolling in the region, with no U.S. personnel injured. It reported that two Iranian oil carriers were "permanently disabled" and the third, empty tanker was destroyed.

Iranian state TV claimed four U.S. missiles hit a tanker near Kharg Island, which is crucial for oil exports. The U.S. identified one tanker as being struck off Kharg Island, another near Jask, and the third unladen vessel being destroyed in the Gulf of Oman. An admiral from U.S. Central Command stated the U.S. would "not hesitate to defend American forces, and if necessary, destroy Iran's limited and exposed oil fleet."

The strikes follow a week of renewed attacks between the U.S. and Iran, with the Strait of Hormuz and surrounding communities being targeted once again. At least five individuals were killed during a U.S. bombardment of southern Iran, including a wedding. The recent fighting is a result of both nations attempting to exert economic pressure on Tehran, following the collapse of negotiations and the end of a June memorandum of understanding. The issue that sparked the war was Iran's nuclear program.