Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps launched ballistic missiles toward two US Navy warships Saturday morning, triggering a new military exchange with American forces as fighting in the Persian Gulf intensified.
US Central Command said the Iranian missiles targeted an American aircraft carrier and a guided-missile destroyer operating in regional waters. Both vessels successfully evaded the incoming fire, and no American personnel were injured.
The attempted strikes marked another direct Iranian attack on US forces following several days of renewed hostilities between Washington and Tehran.
Iran had already targeted American military positions in the region in recent days, including a ballistic missile attack against US forces stationed in Jordan.
Saturday’s attack shifted the focus back toward the Persian Gulf and the waterways surrounding Iran, where American forces have maintained a heavy naval presence throughout the conflict.
CENTCOM said the IRGC launched the missiles toward two US Navy vessels before American forces carried out retaliatory strikes against Iranian oil shipping.
The military did not report damage to either American ship.
Washington responded by striking three Iranian crude oil carriers that CENTCOM said were being used as part of a network generating revenue for the IRGC and affiliated groups.
The M/T Downy, positioned off Iran’s Kharg Island, and the M/T Stark 1 near Jask were permanently disabled in the American response.
A third vessel, the M/T Kylo, also known as the Noxen, was struck in the Gulf of Oman after US forces ordered its crew to abandon ship. CENTCOM said the tanker was hit in multiple critical locations and rendered completely inoperable.
Adm. Brad Cooper, commander of CENTCOM, framed the strikes as a direct response to Iran’s attempt to hit the Navy vessels.
“If you shoot at two of our ships, we will impose an even higher economic cost — taking out three of yours,” Cooper said.
He added that the US would continue defending American military personnel and warned that Iran’s remaining oil fleet could face further attacks if Tehran continued targeting US forces.
The confrontation followed several days of escalating military action.
US forces struck IRGC targets in Iran earlier in the week after CENTCOM accused Tehran of preparing attacks against commercial shipping and American troops.
Those strikes targeted locations around Bandar Abbas, Sirik and Qeshm Island and represented a sharp escalation following a relative lull in the conflict.
Iran has also repeatedly targeted vessels operating around the Strait of Hormuz, the strategically critical waterway connecting the Persian Gulf to the Gulf of Oman.
The narrow passage carried roughly one-fifth of the world’s oil supply before the current conflict disrupted shipping through the region.
Kharg Island, near one of the vessels struck Saturday, is particularly important to Iran’s economy because it historically handled the overwhelming majority of the country’s crude oil exports. Reuters reported that renewed fighting around the island has heightened concerns over further disruption to global energy markets.
The US has maintained restrictions on Iranian maritime traffic as part of its continuing campaign against Tehran, according to Trending Politics.
American forces have also intercepted or redirected vessels accused of attempting to violate the blockade, while Iran has threatened commercial and military shipping in and around the Strait of Hormuz.
The renewed fighting comes after Iran and the US exchanged some of their heaviest attacks in months earlier this week.
Iran retaliated against previous American strikes by targeting US installations in Bahrain, Jordan, Kuwait and Iraq, while Washington continued hitting Iranian military infrastructure along the country’s southern coastline.
President Donald Trump has also warned that further US strikes could target additional Iranian military and nuclear sites if Tehran continues its attacks.
For now, Saturday’s confrontation represents another direct attempt by Iran to strike US naval forces, with American officials saying the missiles failed to cause casualties or damage before the US launched its retaliation.
