US military says it destroyed 3 Iranian oil tankers after missile attacks

The US military has struck and disabled three Iranian crude oil tankers. According to US Central Command (CENTCOM), the tankers were part of a "multibillion-dollar shadow network" used to finance the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and its regional proxies. The US action was in response to ballistic missile attacks launched by the IRGC towards two US Navy warships in regional waters.

CENTCOM reported that an aircraft carrier and a guided-missile destroyer successfully evaded multiple Iranian attacks, with no American personnel injured. The US forces permanently disabled the M/T Downy off the coast of Kharg Island and the M/T Stark 1 near Jask, and destroyed the unladen M/T Kylo, also known as the "Noxen," in the Gulf of Oman. The crew of the M/T Kylo was ordered to abandon ship before it was struck.

The Iranian military has vowed "more severe" retaliatory attacks on US naval vessels if Washington continues its strikes on Iranian ships. CENTCOM commander Adm. Brad Cooper stated, "Let the message to the IRGC be clear: If you shoot at two of our ships, we will impose an even higher economic cost — taking out three of yours." The incident marks an escalation in regional tensions, with the US seeking to choke Iran's economy and Iran maintaining its presence in the strategic Strait of Hormuz.

Brief written by urgent.news from Daily Times, The Mainichi, This Day, CBS News, Malay Mail — 5 reports on this story. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.