Iran retaliates after US strikes oil tankers
Iran says it attacked a US naval drone near the Strait of Hormuz as tensions escalate following strikes on oil tankers by both sides
On Sunday, Iran announced its forces had targeted a US naval drone attempting to enter the Strait of Hormuz, following past attacks on ships in retaliation for American strikes on three oil tankers. This escalation marks the latest round in a six-month standoff, with Iran effectively controlling the strategic waterway and the US maintaining a blockade of Iranian ports.
The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) claimed to have attacked three oil tankers in unauthorized routes and three vessels linked to the US, warning against unauthorized transit. In response, US Central Command (CENTCOM) destroyed three oil tankers, rendering them inoperable. CENTCOM's Admiral Brad Cooper threatened an even higher economic cost for any further US ship attacks.
Iran's foreign ministry denounced the US strikes as "illegal and aggressive." The conflict, which has been unpopular in the US leading up to midterm elections, aims to control the Hormuz Strait, through which a fifth of global oil supplies once passed.
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