Iran strikes vessel linked to US, Israel in retaliatory attack

Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps on Monday announced that its naval forces had targeted the vessel MSC Sariska with a cruise missile in the Sea of Oman, describing the operation as a direct response to an earlier alleged American attack on an Iranian ship. The IRGC said in a statement carried by state broadcaster IRIB that the targeted vessel was owned by what it termed the "US-Zionist enemy," according to the report.

The statement did not provide details on damage to the MSC Sariska or possible casualties from the missile strike. Iranian naval units conducted the operation as part of a "retaliatory operation," the IRGC said.

Alleged US attack

The missile strike came after what the IRGC described as an "aggressive attack" by US forces on the Iranian vessel Lian Star in the Sea of Oman. The Revolutionary Guards accused Washington of targeting Iranian commercial interests without provocation in regional waters.

Warning of escalation

The IRGC warned that any further actions by US forces would be met with a "decisive response" from Tehran's military units. "Any act of aggression by the US military in this region will face a firm response," the statement said, adding that Iranian forces remain prepared to defend maritime interests against foreign threats.

The targeted vessel was identified as the MSC Sariska, though Iranian authorities provided no further details on its registration or current operational status.