The US military says it has hit three Iran-linked oil tankers in retaliation for Tehran targeting two American warships in the region.
US Central Command (Centcom) said on Saturday it had “permanently disabled” two tankers, including one near Kharg Island, and “completely destroyed” a third in the Gulf of Oman.
Iran’s state media confirmed the strikes and cited a military spokesperson threatening more severe reprisals if Washington continued its attacks.
Fighting between the two sides has flared up again over the past week, with little apparent progress towards ending the six-month war.
Iranian state media outlet Irib reported that there were no casualties in Saturday’s attack on the tanker near Kharg Island, and that footage indicated the vessel’s cooling system put out the fire within an hour.
Kharg Island hosts Iran’s main terminal to export oil. Some 90% of the country’s crude oil comes through the island, transported through pipes from the mainland.
The crews aboard the two attacked tankers in the Gulf of Oman were taken to shore in lifeboats, Irib reported. One of those tankers was empty and the other was carrying a load of oil, it added.
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