US Strikes Iranian Oil Tankers After Missile Attacks on Navy Vessels

The U.S. military announced Saturday it had struck three Iranian oil tankers in response to Iran's Revolutionary Guard Corps launching ballistic missiles at two U.S. Navy warships patrolling regional waters. The warships, an aircraft carrier and a guided-missile destroyer, successfully evaded the "multiple and unprovoked" Iranian attacks, with no American personnel harmed, according to U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM).

U.S. officials told The Wall Street Journal that while Iran has launched ballistic missiles at U.S. forces throughout the conflict, the attempt to target the Navy vessels represented a "significant escalation." The U.S. began targeting Iranian tankers last week as part of a strategy to penalize Tehran and curb its oil exports.

The Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps claimed responsibility for attacking three oil tankers and three other ships linked to the U.S. in the Strait of Hormuz, stating it was retaliation for Iran's own oil tankers being targeted. The IRGC also warned all vessels in the strait to comply with Tehran's directives or face attack.

In a separate incident, the Israeli military stated it had struck Hezbollah targets in southern Lebanon overnight in response to a drone attack attempt on its forces in the occupied security zone. Earlier Israeli airstrikes in southern Lebanon reportedly killed three people and injured others, including strikes on a motorcycle in Kfar Rman and a house in Al-Ramadiyah.

Additionally, the Israeli military reported that an interceptor missile was fired at a target that was later identified as a missile launched by Israeli forces in Gaza. No injuries were reported, and an investigation is underway. No sirens were activated in residential areas, consistent with policy.

Iran's Foreign Ministry called the U.S. attacks on Iranian ships a "war crime" and a threat to commercial navigation security.