Tensions escalate in the Persian Gulf as US destroys three Iranian vessels and warns of higher costs

The United States announced on Saturday that it had struck three Iranian vessels carrying crude oil after ballistic missiles were launched by Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) at two US Navy warships.

US Central Command (CENTCOM) said that an American aircraft carrier and a guided-missile destroyer had evaded several attacks carried out by Iran.

US forces then “permanently disabled” two Iranian crude oil tankers: the M/T Downy, near the coast of Kharg Island, and the M/T Stark 1, near the city of Jask.

Another Iranian tanker, the M/T Kylo, which was empty and located outside the Persian Gulf, was “completely destroyed” after being struck several times by the US military to put it out of operation.

Admiral Brad Cooper, commander of CENTCOM, said the message to Iran’s Revolutionary Guard was clear: any attack on US vessels would cost Iran even more.

Tehran has not yet issued an official statement on the developments. However, Iranian state media had earlier reported that the US had attacked a tanker near Kharg Island, one of Iran’s main oil export points.

Iranian news agencies said on Saturday that the tanker had been hit by US missiles near Kharg. According to Tasnim, the vessel was struck by four projectiles, but there were no casualties.

An audio recording verified by CNN shows that, before the attack, a US military aircraft communicated with the vessel’s crew over an emergency channel and asked them to move away from the tanker’s aft section.

The latest clash could expand the maritime transport war in the Persian Gulf and surrounding areas. Iran is attempting to stop vessels passing through the Strait of Hormuz without its authorization, while the US has increased attacks on Iranian maritime assets.

The two countries had also exchanged attacks earlier this week, for the first time in more than a month. The new actions have heightened concerns that another cycle of retaliation could begin.

The situation between Iran and the US remains fragile as both sides seek to control the Strait of Hormuz, a vital route for the global oil supply.

Kharg Island, off the Iranian coast, has typically handled around 90% of the country’s crude oil exports. It has been struck several times during the conflict, while US President Donald Trump has previously threatened to take control of it.

Ship-movement data and satellite imagery show that around 20 Iranian tankers are anchored near Kharg and cannot leave the Gulf because of the US naval blockade. Many of them are fully loaded with oil.

According to ship-tracking services, more than 50 Iranian tankers are in the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman.

Meanwhile, US Vice President JD Vance said on Thursday that the conflict should not be defined as a “war.” He said that, despite the recent escalation, there had been no “active exchange of fire.”

Vance did not set a timeframe for ending the conflict and implied that responsibility for bringing the confrontation to an end lay with Iran. According to him, the conflict had begun six months earlier with joint US-Israeli airstrikes.