US Destroys Three Iranian Oil Tankers Amid Escalating Conflict

The United States has escalated its military confrontation with Iran by destroying or disabling three Iranian crude oil tankers in response to ballistic missile attacks on US Navy ships.

According to CENTCOM, the American warships successfully evaded the incoming missiles and no US personnel were injured. The latest military exchanges have widened the conflict's maritime dimension, focusing attention on Iranian oil shipments and the strategically vital Strait of Hormuz.

US Central Command commander Adm Brad Cooper said Washington's response was intended to send a direct warning to Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC): 'If you shoot at two of our ships, we will impose an even higher economic cost, taking out three of yours.'