US Strikes Three Iranian Oil Tankers in Retaliation for Missile Attacks

US Central Command (CENTCOM) has confirmed that US military forces have struck three Iranian oil tankers, in response to ballistic missile attacks on two US Navy ships. The strikes were carried out after Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) launched missiles at the US vessels.

CENTCOM said the strikes targeted one tanker off the coast of Kharg Island, near Iran's key oil export hub, and another near Jask. The third unladen tanker was destroyed in the Gulf of Oman.

The US military accused the tankers of being part of a shadow network helping to fund the IRGC and its armed proxies in the region. Admiral Brad Cooper, head of CENTCOM, said 'If you shoot at two of our ships, we will impose an even higher economic cost, taking out three of yours.'

The US has imposed a blockade on Iranian ports after Iran largely shut the Strait of Hormuz, a crucial waterway that carried one-fifth of the world's oil supply before the war. The Brent crude futures price closed at its highest level since July 24 on Friday, at $US96.28 a barrel.