US strikes 3 Iranian oil tankers after Navy warships evaded missiles, CENTCOM says

U.S. forces launched strikes against three Iranian crude oil tankers on Saturday in response to attempted attacks on Navy warships, U.S. Central Command said in a statement.

An American aircraft carrier and guided-missile destroyer evaded multiple ballistic missiles, and no U.S. personnel were injured, CENTCOM said.

U.S. strikes permanently disabled IRGC ships M/T Downy off the coast of Kharg Island and M/T Stark 1 near Jask.

American forces also hit the unladen crude oil carrier M/T Kylo in the Gulf of Oman. U.S. strikes hit the ship in multiple critical locations to render it inoperable; the crew was directed to abandon ship.

“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,” said Adm. Brad Cooper, CENTCOM commander. “We will not hesitate to defend American forces, and if necessary, destroy Iran’s limited and exposed oil fleet.”

Fighting between the U.S. and Iran over control of the Strait of Hormuz resumed this week after a period of relative calm, triggering a fresh jump in oil prices as fears grow that the war may drag on indefinitely.

“It’s simple: if Iran shoots at U.S. ships, we will destroy (and sink) their oil tankers. All they have to do is not shoot at @USNavy,” Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth said in a post on X. “Iran’s oil tanker fleet is defenseless — Iran has no navy or air force. Our planes, ships & subs can strike them all.”

The U.S. is looking into claims that American forces killed several Iranian civilians in a strike on a wedding. An explosion ripped through a marriage ceremony Tuesday in Kuhestak, in southern Iran’s Sirik County, Tehran said. Western media outlets have independently verified imagery from the scene.

“We’re aware of the reports, which originated from Iranian state media, and we are looking into them,” command spokesman Capt. Tim Hawkins said.

The strikes Saturday — a day after President Donald Trump sought to minimize the conflict as “small potatoes” — are the latest incidents in the war the began with joint U.S. and Israeli attacks on Feb. 28.

Iran subsequently launched thousands of missiles and drones at Israel, U.S. bases and civilian and energy infrastructure across the Gulf. Iran has also repeatedly attacked commercial ships in and around the Strait of Hormuz.

Iranian casualty reports indicate that more than 3,500 people have been killed and at least 33,000 wounded by the fighting, although authorities have not published a single cumulative toll covering the entire conflict.

U.S. casualties include 18 service members killed and more than 790 wounded, according to the latest Pentagon data.