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Centcom Announces Strikes On Three Iranian Oil Tankers

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The U.S. military said it struck three Iranian crude oil tankers in the Gulf region on Saturday in response to Iranian attacks on U.S. naval ships.

The U.S. aircraft carrier and guided-missile destroyer dodged the Iranian attack and no American personnel were harmed, according to the U.S. Central Command.

The attack is a significant escalation and comes as fighting in the region has picked up in recent weeks. One of the Iranian ships was located near Kharg Island, which handles about 90 percent of Iran’s crude oil exports. Though President Donald Trump has repeatedly threatened to destroy Kharg Island’s energy infrastructure, he has not ordered a strike that would cripple Iran’s oil industry.

“Let the message to the IRGC be clear: If you shoot at two of our ships, we will impose an even higher economic cost —taking out three of yours,” Adm. Brad Cooper, CENTCOM commander, said in the Saturday statement. “We will not hesitate to defend American forces, and if necessary, destroy Iran’s limited and exposed oil fleet.”