U.S. forces targeted multiple Iranian oil tankers linked to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps on Tuesday after an attempted missile attack on an American warship, escalating Washington’s campaign to pressure Tehran as Iran threatened retaliation against U.S. bases and regional shipping.
By yourNEWS Media Newsroom.
U.S. forces launched a new round of strikes against multiple Iranian oil tankers Tuesday, including targets near the critical oil-export hub of Kharg Island and the port of Jask, as Washington intensified military and economic pressure on Tehran and Iranian officials threatened a broader retaliation against American forces and interests across the Middle East.
A U.S. official said the targeted tankers were connected to Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and that the strikes followed an attempted Iranian ballistic missile attack on a U.S. Navy warship Monday. The missile did not hit the American vessel, and U.S. forces subsequently moved against the tankers to demonstrate that attacks on American military assets would carry additional costs.
The U.S. military operation remained underway Tuesday, according to the official. The Associated Press separately reported that American forces had struck multiple Iranian oil tankers following renewed Iranian missile attacks against a U.S. warship.
The latest strikes represent another escalation in a confrontation that has increasingly focused on Iran’s ability to export oil and finance the IRGC. U.S. officials said the tanker attacks are part of a broader effort to squeeze Tehran economically while the Trump administration increases pressure on Iran over its nuclear program.
U.S. Central Command carried out strikes near Kharg Island and Jask, with an American official saying Iranian crude carriers were among the targets and that U.S. forces sought to sink or disable them.
Kharg Island is a central hub for Iranian crude exports, making vessels operating around the island particularly significant to Tehran’s energy economy. More than 20 Iranian tankers were in the area earlier Tuesday, TankerTrackers co-founder Sam Madani told Fox News.
Explosions were reported near both Kharg Island and Jask. Iranian state media initially said the origin of the blasts and the extent of any damage were unclear. Reuters also reported explosions in the two areas, citing the Mehr and Fars news agencies. A ballistic missile was separately reported to have been launched from Jask.
The strikes came only days after CENTCOM announced that U.S. forces had destroyed or disabled three IRGC-linked crude oil tankers following Iranian ballistic missile attacks directed toward two U.S. Navy warships. CENTCOM said Saturday that no American personnel were injured in those attacks.
Iran signaled before Tuesday’s latest operation that it was preparing to respond.
Iranian military spokesman Ebrahim Zolfaghari said earlier Tuesday that three Iranian tankers had received warnings that U.S. attacks were imminent. He said any strikes against the vessels would trigger Iranian attacks against American military bases and other U.S. interests throughout the region.
The IRGC subsequently warned that ships located in Kuwaiti and Bahraini ports hosting American forces could become targets in retaliation for U.S. attacks on Iranian oil tankers. The IRGC Navy urged crews aboard potentially affected vessels to evacuate, according to Iranian state media and Reuters.
Iranian armed forces chief of staff Ali Abdollahi issued a broader warning, saying attacks against Iranian ships could prompt strikes against U.S. military installations throughout the region, according to a statement distributed by Iran’s state news agency.
The threats come as shipping through the Strait of Hormuz has fallen to its lowest level since May amid the widening confrontation. Traffic through the strategic waterway slowed further this week after Tehran warned that renewed U.S. attacks would provoke retaliation against regional energy infrastructure and American interests.
The Trump administration has been simultaneously expanding economic measures intended to isolate Iran. U.S. officials have said the objective is to increase pressure on Tehran to meet American demands concerning its nuclear program while limiting the government’s ability to generate revenue through oil and other sectors.
Tuesday’s tanker strikes fit directly into that effort. A U.S. official described the operations against Iranian crude carriers as “part of that pressure campaign,” noting that oil exports remain a crucial source of income for Tehran.
The military pressure has been accompanied by additional sanctions. The Treasury Department on Tuesday announced a sweeping new package targeting Iran’s aviation sector and companies accused of supporting its procurement networks, another step in Washington’s effort to restrict Tehran’s access to international commerce.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi responded by arguing that Washington’s longstanding strategy of economic and military pressure had failed.
“After 47 years of sanctions, the U.S. went to war with Iran on behalf of Israel,” Araghchi said in a post on X.
“The fallout has been disastrous for America, including its standing worldwide,” he added.
“After failing to achieve its aims through sanctions or war, Washington’s ‘novel’ solution is…more sanctions. Seriously?” Araghchi said.
Iran’s warnings have heightened concern that the latest tanker strikes could expand beyond direct exchanges between American and Iranian forces. The IRGC’s references to vessels in Bahrain and Kuwait are particularly significant because both Gulf states host U.S. military personnel and facilities.
The continuing hostilities are also placing greater strain on global energy markets. Crude prices rose to six-week highs Tuesday as fighting expanded across the region, including attacks by Iran-backed Houthis on Saudi energy facilities. Brent crude approached $100 per barrel as traders assessed the possibility of prolonged disruptions to oil production and shipping routes.
Washington’s campaign against Iranian tankers has increasingly targeted what U.S. officials describe as a shadow shipping network that generates revenue for the IRGC and its regional partners.
Tuesday’s strikes appear to extend that strategy from economic sanctions and maritime restrictions toward repeated direct military attacks against vessels associated with Iran’s oil trade.
The development came amid other diplomatic disputes surrounding the broader Middle East conflict. Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar separately announced countermeasures Tuesday in response to new sanctions imposed by British Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband, describing Britain’s action as part of two years of unilateral moves against Israel.
For the immediate U.S.-Iran confrontation, however, the focus has shifted increasingly to the Gulf and Iran’s oil infrastructure.
American officials say the latest strikes were retaliation for Iran’s attempted attack on a U.S. warship and part of an economic campaign intended to weaken Tehran’s access to oil revenue. Iran, meanwhile, has warned that further attacks on its tankers could bring strikes against American military bases and ships using ports across the Gulf, raising the prospect that the confrontation could widen further beyond Iranian waters.
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