US military hits three Iranian oil tankers

The United States military carried out strikes on three Iranian oil tankers on Saturday following Navy warships coming under missile attack, warning it would "if necessary, destroy Iran’s limited and exposed oil fleet." This move came a day after President Donald Trump downplayed the conflict as "small potatoes." The strikes marked a return to conflict after six months of intermittent war, which began with U.S. and Israeli attacks on February 28. Both sides have sought to inflict both military and economic damage, but negotiations have failed.

According to the military statement, a U.S. aircraft carrier and a destroyer had avoided "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, unladen tanker was destroyed. The U.S. stated that the tankers were part of a shadow network aiding Iran’s Revolutionary Guard and its regional proxies.

Iranian state TV had reported earlier that four U.S. missiles had hit a tanker approximately six miles from Kharg Island, home to a terminal through which Iran exports most of its oil. Kharg Island has faced repeated targeting during the conflict, including U.S. strikes on military sites there in March. The U.S. reported that one tanker was struck off Kharg Island, another near Jask, east of the Strait of Hormuz, while the unladen tanker was hit in the Gulf of Oman. The military shared video footage of the strikes.

Admiral Brad Cooper, head of U.S. Central Command, stated that the U.S. would not hesitate to defend American forces and, if required, destroy Iran’s limited and exposed oil fleet. The strikes followed a week of renewed attacks after a month of relative calm, with the Strait of Hormuz and Iranian communities along it once again being targeted. At least five people were killed during a U.S. bombardment in southern Iran, and one strike hit a wedding.

The resurgence of fighting followed new U.S. efforts to apply economic pressure on Tehran, whose hard-line new senior leaders signaled a willingness to dig in after enduring decades of sanctions. Meanwhile, the issue that sparked the war—Iran’s nuclear program—was intended to be addressed in negotiations, but those talks collapsed soon after the U.S. and Iran signed a memorandum of understanding in mid-June.

Tehran's new leverage now focuses on the Strait of Hormuz, which is vital for global oil and natural gas shipments and was considered an international waterway before the war began. U.S. military assistance has been helping guide ships through the strait as Tehran asserts control and targets some vessels, but overall traffic remains low.