US strikes Iranian tankers near Kharg Island after missile attempt

American forces struck tankers linked to Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps near Kharg Island in the Strait of Hormuz on Tuesday, officials told CNN, after Tehran attempted to target a US Navy warship in the strategic waterway. Citing two US officials, the network reported that one vessel was hit approximately four miles from Kharg Island — a critical hub for Iranian oil exports — during the operation.

Naval Operations

The operation forms part of Washington's broader strategy of targeting Iranian assets around the strait while escorting commercial vessels and maintaining a naval blockade on Iranian ports, according to the report. US forces have continued to target Revolutionary Guard maritime infrastructure following repeated threats to American naval assets operating in the contested waterway, officials added.

Diplomatic Context

The strikes come despite the signing of a memorandum in June that envisioned reopening the Strait of Hormuz as a prelude to a wider peace deal between Washington and Tehran. Kharg Island serves as Iran's primary oil export terminal, handling the vast majority of the country's crude shipments through the vital waterway.