US struck multiple Iranian tankers tied to IRGC, US official says

In response to multiple attempted missile attacks on a Navy warship, the United States conducted strikes on Iranian tankers on Tuesday, according to a U.S. official. This action follows a pattern of tit-for-tat strikes as the United States and Iran find themselves edging closer to combat once again, six months into their ongoing conflict.

Iran's Revolutionary Guard Navy has issued warnings to crews of oil tankers near ports in Kuwait and Bahrain, urging them to leave immediately, citing the possibility of being targeted in retaliation for the U.S. attacks on Iranian tankers. The Revolutionary Guard's warning, broadcast by Iranian state television, accuses both Kuwait and Bahrain of providing assistance to the U.S. forces and hosting U.S. military personnel.

On Saturday, the U.S. military confirmed that it had struck three Iranian oil tankers following the targeting of its warships with ballistic missiles, vowing to "if necessary, destroy Iran's limited and exposed oil fleet." Iran subsequently announced its intention to establish a new "exclusion zone" near the Strait of Hormuz, intended to target vessels attempting to transit the area.

The most recent strikes are part of a strategy employed by President Donald Trump, combining economic and military measures as he endeavors to bring an end to the six-month-long war with Tehran. On Tuesday, the Trump administration also imposed sanctions on additional components of Iran's aviation industry, targeting over two dozen commercial and private airlines, as well as foreign cargo service providers, in its ongoing attempt to isolate Tehran from its remaining trading partners.