Middle East live: US destroys five Iranian oil tankers as Iran threatens Kuwait and Bahrain

Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps has warned that it will target oil tankers off the coasts of Kuwait and Bahrain. According to the IRNA state news agency, the warning was issued in retaliation for US strikes on Iranian vessels. The IRGC urged crews to leave their ships, stating that they would be targeted.

The US had previously struck Iranian oil tankers in response to attacks on American naval vessels. US Central Command reported that American forces had destroyed five Iranian crude oil tankers on September 8, after Iran's IRGC targeted a US Navy warship with ballistic missiles. The US warship successfully evaded the attacks, and no American personnel were harmed, according to Central Command, as reported by Ajel English.

The IRGC's statement, as reported by Malay Mail and Middle East Eye, warned oil tankers in Kuwaiti and Bahraini ports to leave their vessels, describing their hosts as "terrorists" and "partners in their evils".

Brief written by urgent.news from Malay Mail, Ajel English, Middle East Eye — 3 reports on this story. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.