WATCH: CENTCOM strikes three Iranian oil tankers after IRGC attack on US ships

US forces struck three Iranian oil tankers on Saturday, including one near Iran's key oil export hub of Kharg Island, according to US Central Command (CENTCOM). These strikes were a direct response to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) launching ballistic missiles at two US Navy ships. Admiral Brad Cooper, head of US CENTCOM, stated,

"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."

• Tasnim, a semi-official Iranian news agency, reported four US missiles hit a tanker near Kharg's anchorage, with no casualties.
• US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth emphasized on X that if Iran targets US ships, their oil tankers would be destroyed.
• This exchange follows an escalation in conflict since US strikes on Iran in February, impacting global energy supplies.
• US President Donald Trump had previously threatened Kharg Island, a vital point for Iran's oil exports, which has been under a US blockade since mid-April.