US Airstrikes Destroy Three Iranian Oil Tankers Amid Escalating Conflict

The United States military has launched airstrikes on three Iranian oil tankers in response to attempted missile attacks on naval vessels. The strikes, carried out by US Central Command (CENTCOM), targeted tankers linked to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) off the coast of Iran's Kharg Island and near Jask.

The US military accused the IRGC of unsuccessfully firing at American warships and said it had disabled two tankers, M/T Downy and M/T Stark 1. The third tanker, M/T Kylo, was completely destroyed in the Gulf of Oman after its crew was directed to abandon ship.

The Iranian foreign ministry condemned the US action as 'illegal and aggressive', while Iran's Khatam-al Anbiya central military command warned that if the US continued its attacks, retaliation against US warships would be 'more severe than before'.