US military says it destroyed three Iranian oil tankers

The US military has struck and destroyed three oil tankers linked to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) after the Iranian military organization fired on American warships. According to US Central Command (CENTCOM), the tankers - M/T Downy, M/T Stark 1, and M/T Kylo - were targeted in response to Iran's failed attacks. The M/T Downy and M/T Stark 1 were permanently disabled, while the M/T Kylo was completely destroyed in the Gulf of Oman after its crew was directed to abandon ship.

CENTCOM said the strikes were carried out after a US aircraft carrier and guided-missile destroyer evaded missiles fired by Iran. The US attacks rendered the vessels inoperable, with the M/T Kylo struck in multiple critical locations. Footage of the strikes was posted on social media by CENTCOM.

The incident is part of an ongoing conflict between the US and Iran, which has been trading attacks for over six months. According to Axios, a US official had previously stated that the US had a new "tanker-for-tanker" policy approved by President Trump. The conflict has seen varying predictions from US leaders, with Trump previously suggesting it could be over in a short period or last longer. A recent poll found that 65% of Americans want the US to make a deal to end the war as quickly as possible.

Brief written by urgent.news from Business Recorder, Axios — 2 reports on this story. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.