Iran hits 3 tankers in Hormuz, 3 US-linked vessels after American attacks

Retaliatory strikes

Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) Navy said Saturday it targeted three oil tankers traveling through the Strait of Hormuz and three vessels linked to the United States in separate locations, describing the strikes as retaliation for earlier American attacks on Iranian energy shipments. The force accused the US military of striking three Iranian oil tankers earlier Saturday, causing unspecified damage, according to a statement carried by Iranian state broadcaster IRIB.

Targets and warning

The IRGC Navy said its forces targeted the commercial vessels for traveling along "unauthorized routes" through the strategic chokepoint. The paramilitary force did not specify the nationalities of the tankers hit in the Strait of Hormuz, nor did it identify the three US-linked vessels targeted elsewhere.

The force issued a "firm warning" to all vessels operating in the Gulf and near the Strait of Hormuz. "Do not be deceived by the terrorist US military, and refrain from any suspicious movement aimed at passing through unauthorized waterways; otherwise, you will be targeted," it said.

Strategic chokepoint

The attacks mark the latest escalation in the Strait of Hormuz, a vital chokepoint for global energy shipments. Commercial traffic through the waterway has faced increasing volatility as Washington and Tehran trade accusations of maritime aggression.