US Strikes Iranian Tankers in Retaliation for Navy Warship Attack
The US Central Command confirmed that American forces struck three Iranian crude oil tankers in retaliation for an attack on U.S. Navy warships.
The strikes followed multiple unprovoked attacks by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) on a U.S. aircraft carrier and a guided-missile destroyer, according to CENTCOM.
The IRGC-linked tankers M/T Downy off Kharg Island and M/T Stark 1 near Jask were permanently disabled, while a third vessel, the unladen carrier M/T Kylo (also known as the Noxen), was destroyed in the Gulf of Oman after its crew was ordered to abandon ship.
Kharg Island is critical to global energy markets, handling roughly 90% of Iran's crude exports. The terminal has a loading capacity of about 7 million barrels per day, with most cargoes historically bound for China and India.