US Destroys Three Iranian Oil Carriers After Missile Attacks on Ships

Three Iranian oil carriers are now destroyed following a ballistic missile attack by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps against American warships. Central Command reported that two US Navy vessels were patrolling regional waters when Iran struck them on Saturday. An aircraft carrier and a guided-missile destroyer managed to evade multiple unprovoked attacks while no American personnel suffered any harm. Two crude oil carriers belonging to Iran, one off Kharg Island and the other near Jask, were permanently disabled by these retaliatory US strikes. The unladen vessel M/T Kylo in the Gulf of Oman was also completely destroyed until its crew could abandon ship according to CENTCOM. Admiral Brad Cooper, the CENTCOM commander, stated that if Iran shoots at two American ships, the response will impose a higher economic cost by taking out three of theirs. We will not hesitate to defend our forces or destroy Iran's limited and exposed oil fleet if necessary. The US claims these attacks on tankers followed unsuccessful ballistic missile firings on their warships. A massive fire broke out on an Iranian tanker immediately after being hit by American missiles. These strikes occur just a day after Donald Trump tried to downplay the conflict as small potatoes while fighting resumes after six months of intermittent warfare starting February 28. Both sides have sought military and economic pain while negotiations collapse entirely. Iranian state TV earlier said four US missiles struck a tanker about six miles from Kharg Island, which hosts a terminal exporting most of the country's oil. Kharg Island has been repeatedly targeted throughout this war. The strikes happened nearly a week after the US and Iran resumed attacks following a month of relative calm with the strait and Iranian communities again being targeted. This resumption came after Trump applied new economic pressures on Tehran. Meanwhile, the US military guides ships through the strait as Tehran asserts control and targets some vessels while overall traffic remains low.