The United States has sharply escalated its confrontation with Iran, striking three Iranian crude oil tankers after the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) launched ballistic missiles towards two US Navy warships in regional waters, in the latest tit-for-tat exchange.
US Central Command (CENTCOM) said its forces on Saturday permanently disabled two Iranian crude carriers — the M/T Downy off Kharg Island and the M/T Stark 1 near Jask — and destroyed a third, the unladen M/T Kylo, also known as the Noxen, in the Gulf of Oman.
The Kylo was struck at several critical points after its crew was ordered to abandon the vessel, CENTCOM said. No US personnel were injured in the Iranian missile attacks, according to the US military.
The strikes mark a significant shift in the US response to Iran. Rather than targeting only military assets, Washington has now directly hit vessels that it says form part of a multibillion-dollar Iranian oil network used to finance the IRGC and its regional proxies.
“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,” CENTCOM commander Adm. Brad Cooper said.
US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth issued an even broader warning, saying the US would destroy Iranian oil tankers if Iran continued attacking American naval vessels. He also warned that Iranian tankers could be targeted beyond the Gulf, including in the Indo-Pacific.
Shipping becomes a new battleground
The latest strikes threaten to turn the already severely disrupted Gulf shipping system into another major theatre of the conflict.
Iran has sought to restrict shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, the vital waterway linking the Arabian Gulf with the Gulf of Oman, while the United States has moved to prevent Tehran from using its oil fleet and maritime network to generate revenue.
The confrontation comes as dozens of Iranian tankers remain trapped or immobilised in and around the Gulf. Shipping data and satellite imagery indicate that nearly 20 Iranian tankers are anchored near Kharg Island, many of them fully laden, while more than 50 Iranian tankers are believed to be in the wider Gulf and Gulf of Oman region.
Kharg Island is particularly significant because it is Iran’s main crude export hub and handles the overwhelming majority of the country's oil shipments.
Brent crude rose sharply amid the latest escalation, reaching about $96 a barrel as markets assessed the growing threat to Gulf supplies.
Iran condemns US strikes
Iran strongly condemned the US attacks, describing them as “illegal and aggressive” and accusing Washington of threatening international peace and the security of commercial shipping.
Iran's Foreign Ministry said the strikes represented a clear violation of the UN Charter and warned that Tehran would respond to attacks against its vessels.
Iranian media reported that one tanker near Kharg Island had been hit by four US projectiles. Audio reviewed by CNN reportedly captured a US military aircraft warning the Stark 1 to evacuate its crew before an attack.
Trump threatens strike on Pickaxe Mountain
At the same time, President Donald Trump has renewed his threat to attack Iran's heavily fortified Pickaxe Mountain site, signalling that the confrontation is not confined to the maritime domain.
Trump told reporters on Friday that the United States could hit Pickaxe Mountain “very soon”. The site lies close to Iran's heavily damaged Natanz uranium-enrichment complex and contains deeply buried tunnel systems that are believed to be capable of sheltering sensitive nuclear-related infrastructure.
