US Strikes Three Iranian Oil Tankers in Retaliation for IRGC Attack
The US military carried out air strikes against three Iranian oil tankers on Saturday, in response to ballistic missiles fired by Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) at two US navy warships.
The IRGC had launched the attack while the US aircraft carrier and destroyer were patrolling in the region. Admiral Brad Cooper, head of US Central Command, said: '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.'
The strikes destroyed two Iranian oil tankers and permanently disabled a third. One tanker was struck off Kharg Island, which handles about 90% of Iran's oil exports.
The US has been trying to inflict both military and economic pain on Iran, as the country's economy is already reeling from the US naval blockade of the Strait of Hormuz.