ISTANBUL, Turkiye: US Central Command (CENTCOM) said Saturday that its forces struck and disabled three Iranian crude oil tankers after the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) launched ballistic missiles toward two US Navy warships in regional waters, Anadolu Ajansi reported.
In a statement shared on US social media company X, CENTCOM said an aircraft carrier and a guided-missile destroyer successfully evaded multiple Iranian attacks, adding that no American personnel were injured.
According to the statement, US forces permanently disabled the M/T Downy off the coast of Kharg Island and the M/T Stark 1 near Jask. They also destroyed the unladen M/T Kylo, also known as the ‘Noxen’, in the Gulf of Oman after its crew was ordered to abandon ship.
CENTCOM said the vessels were part of a “multibillion-dollar shadow network” allegedly used to finance the IRGC and its regional proxies.
Regional tensions have escalated since US-Israeli attacks on Iran began on February 28, with Tehran responding with missile and drone strikes against Israel and US interests across the region.
Washington and Tehran signed a memorandum of understanding on June 18 concerning freedom of navigation through the Strait of Hormuz, but its implementation has stalled amid disagreements over security arrangements in the strait. – BERNAMA-ANADOLU
