Iran-US war latest: Tehran attacks ships in Strait of Hormuz after US strikes Iranian oil tankers
The US and Iran have traded strikes on ships, the latest round of attacks since the conflict flared a week ago after a period of relative calm.
US Central Command, which oversees the nation’s military in the Middle East, said it struck three Iranian oil tankers, including one off the coast of Kharg Island, near the nation’s oil export hub, after Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps launched ballistic missiles at two US Navy ships.
Admiral Brad Cooper, head of US Central Command, said: “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.”
The IRGC responded by threatening intensified strikes against US military vessels in the region, and later said it targeted three tankers that Tehran claimed were on unauthorised routes in the Strait of Hormuz, as well as as three US-linked vessels in other areas.
The exchange of attacks followed an escalation in the past week that threatens to deepen a conflict that has continued since the US and Israel launched strikes on Iran in February.
