The United States military said on Saturday that its forces had struck three Iranian crude oil carriers after the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) launched ballistic missiles towards two US Navy warships, escalating tensions in and around the strategically vital Strait of Hormuz.
The latest exchanges threaten to deepen the shipping conflict in the Persian Gulf, with Iran seeking to restrict vessels passing through the Strait without its consent while the United States increases attacks on Iranian shipping.
The two sides exchanged strikes earlier this week for the first time in more than a month, raising fears of another cycle of retaliation.
“A US aircraft carrier and guided-missile destroyer successfully evaded multiple unprovoked Iranian attacks,” the US Central Command (CENTCOM) said in a statement.
CENTCOM said US forces had “permanently disabled” Iranian crude oil carriers, including the M/T Downy off Kharg Island and the M/T Stark 1 near Jask.
“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, the CENTCOM commander.
Iran’s state news agency IRNA reported the US statement and said Iranian officials had warned of a strong response to any attack. There was no immediate statement from Iran’s leadership.
The United States and Iran remain locked in a volatile confrontation over the Strait of Hormuz, a crucial shipping route through which a significant share of global oil supplies passes.
Kharg Island, a coral outcrop off Iran’s coast, has traditionally handled around 90% of the country’s crude oil exports. The island has been targeted during the conflict, and US President Donald Trump has previously threatened to seize it.
US Vice-President JD Vance said on Thursday that the confrontation should not be described as a “war”, despite the escalation. He said there was “no active shooting” at the time.
Vance declined to give a timetable for ending the conflict, saying it was up to Iran to bring the confrontation to an end.
The conflict began six months ago with joint US-Israeli air strikes against Iran.
Trump described the conflict as “small potatoes”, saying 18 Americans had been killed compared with about 100,000 US deaths during the Vietnam War.
He described US strikes as “intermittent” and threatened to attack Pickaxe Mountain, where Iran’s enriched uranium is reportedly stored in underground tunnels.
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer rejected Trump’s description of the conflict.
“Tell that to the families of the 18 troops we have lost, the hundreds of wounded servicemembers, and the Americans suffering every single day from record high prices,” Schumer wrote on X.
“There’s nothing small about it,” he added.
Meanwhile, The New York Times reported, citing US government officials, that Trump administration investigators had subjected about 50 members of the US military’s Joint Staff to polygraph tests over leaks to journalists.
The investigation reportedly focused on whether military officers and civilian employees had disclosed information about reduced US stocks of crucial munitions during the Iran conflict.
Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell told the newspaper that the department did not comment on internal personnel or investigative matters but took leaks of classified national security information “extremely seriously”.
Separately, the Freedom Flotilla Coalition said a new international mission had begun, with vessels stopping at European ports before attempting to reach Gaza in October.
The coalition said the mission aimed to challenge what it described as Israel’s “illegal and deadly blockade” of Gaza.
Stops in Spain, Portugal and Italy are planned before the flotilla heads towards Gaza. The coalition said the mission would continue despite previous violence against flotilla volunteers and activists.
It said action was needed as international attention on Gaza had declined since a ceasefire was announced in October 2025.
