US says five Iranian tankers destroyed as Tehran threatens Gulf shipping
US Central Command linked the strikes to recent missile attacks on a US warship, while Iran’s Revolutionary Guard warned tankers in Kuwaiti and Bahraini ports to leave.
The United States says it destroyed five Iranian crude oil tankers after Iran launched ballistic missiles at a US warship twice in recent days, further escalating hostilities around the Gulf and Strait of Hormuz.
US Central Command identified the vessels as Kivik, Charminar, Horizon 1 and Riesco in the Gulf of Oman, and Derya near Kharg Island in the Strait of Hormuz. It said crews were directed to abandon ship before the vessels were struck and rendered inoperable.
Central Command said the attacks were carried out in response to what it described as Iran’s latest failed attacks. The circumstances and legality of the tanker strikes, along with any casualties or damage, have not been independently verified in the source material.
Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps subsequently warned oil tankers in Kuwaiti and Bahraini ports to leave, saying vessels anchored or docked there would be targeted. The warning was reported by Iran’s state news agency, IRNA.
Iranian state-run media also reported that missiles had been launched towards US targets in Jordan. US Central Command said it had no information to offer about the reported strikes.
The developments follow earlier reported attacks involving US and Iranian forces near a major route for oil and liquefied natural gas shipments, with both sides issuing claims through military or state-linked channels.
