Military Says It Struck 3 Iranian Oil Tankers

The US military said it attacked three Iranian oil tankers on Saturday, disabling two and destroying the other in the Gulf of Oman after Iran fired missiles at two US Navy ships, the Washington Post reports. One strike occurred near Kharg Island, the hub for nearly 90% of Iran's oil exports, per US Central Command; Iranian media said that crew members were evacuated and that no one was killed. "If you shoot at two of our ships, we will impose an even higher economic cost—taking out three of yours," Adm. Brad Cooper warned, vowing to target Iran's "limited and exposed" oil fleet. Iran's military threatened "more severe" and wider strikes on American vessels if what it calls harassment and a naval blockade continue.

Central Command's statement said the three ships were part of a "multibillion-dollar shadow network" that funds Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guards and its armed proxies, per the New York Times. The clash is the latest turn in a six-month conflict that began with US-Israeli strikes on Iran and has choked traffic through the Strait of Hormuz, once a conduit for about a fifth of global oil and gas. It took place a day after President Trump described the fighting with Iran as "small potatoes." The military posted video it said shows the attacks here.