US strikes 3 Iranian oil tankers after saying warships were targeted with ballistic missiles

CAIRO — (AP) The United States has struck three Iranian oil tankers after Iranian forces targeted American Navy warships with ballistic missiles, according to U.S. military officials.

The Trump administration says the strikes were a direct response to attacks on U.S. forces patrolling near the Strait of Hormuz — a crucial passageway for global oil and natural-gas shipments.

The military says an American aircraft carrier and a U.S. destroyer successfully evaded multiple Iranian missile attacks. No American service members were injured.

In response, U.S. forces hit what officials described as tankers linked to Iran’s shadow oil network — a system Washington says helps fund Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and the armed proxy groups it supports throughout the Middle East.

Two of the ships were permanently disabled, according to the U.S. military. A third tanker, which officials said was carrying no cargo, was destroyed after its crew was directed to abandon ship.

One strike took place off Iran’s Kharg Island, home to a major oil-export terminal. Another occurred near Jask, east of the Strait of Hormuz. A third tanker was hit in the Gulf of Oman.

The commander of U.S. Central Command, Admiral Brad Cooper, delivered a clear warning to Tehran.

“We will not hesitate to defend American forces,” Cooper said, adding that the United States would, if necessary, “destroy Iran’s limited and exposed oil fleet.”

The strikes underscore President Trump’s willingness to back American warnings with force when U.S. troops, sailors and strategic interests are under attack.

Just one day earlier, President Trump had sought to play down the broader conflict. But the administration’s latest response sends a message that restraint should not be mistaken for weakness — particularly when Iran targets American warships with ballistic missiles.

Iranian state media claimed Tehran responded by targeting three oil tankers and three American vessels. Those reports could not be independently confirmed. Iran’s military leadership also threatened more severe action against U.S. ships if Washington continues what Tehran calls interference with Iranian shipping.

Still, military analysts say Iran’s decision to direct ballistic missiles toward a U.S. aircraft carrier marks a significant and dangerous escalation.

Danny Citrinowicz, an Iran specialist at Israel’s Institute for National Security Studies, said the apparent attack suggests Tehran is increasingly willing to take risks it had previously avoided — including openly threatening some of America’s most important military assets in the region.

The confrontation is part of a wider conflict that began after U.S. and Israeli operations against Iran earlier this year. The Trump administration has pursued a two-track strategy: using military force to protect American personnel and international shipping, while increasing financial pressure on Iran and the institutions that move its money abroad.

Vice President JD Vance said this week there is no realistic prospect for renewed negotiations so long as Iran continues targeting ships.

That position reflects a growing view among Republicans that diplomacy cannot succeed if Tehran uses threats against commercial vessels and American military forces as bargaining tools.

The breakdown in talks also leaves the original concern unresolved: Iran’s nuclear program. The United States and key European allies are now considering further action through the United Nations Security Council over Iran’s alleged failure to meet nuclear nonproliferation obligations.

For the Trump administration, the immediate mission is clear: defend U.S. personnel, preserve freedom of navigation through the Strait of Hormuz, and deny Iran the ability to finance aggression through oil revenues.

U.S. officials say American forces remain prepared to respond to further Iranian attacks, while warning Tehran that continued escalation will bring serious consequences.

PHOTO- AP