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US Hits Iranian Tankers, Iran Fires Back With Missile Barrage
(MENAFN) The US military struck two Iranian government-owned tankers Tuesday, part of a sweeping wave of attacks against Iranian targets, according to US officials cited by media.
Media reported that this marks the first instance in which Washington has targeted Iranian tankers specifically in retaliation for assaults on vessels in the Strait of Hormuz — a departure from previous strikes aimed at enforcing a US naval blockade.
A US official said the operation stems from a newly approved "tanker for tanker" policy, greenlit by President Donald Trump, designed to discourage Iranian aggression against ships passing through the critical waterway.
Roughly 100 targets were hit Tuesday, US officials said, including Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) air-defense installations, radar systems, mine-laying equipment, communications infrastructure, anti-ship cruise missile launchers and drone-launching sites.
The two targeted tankers had been anchored off Iran's coastline, north of the US blockade line, when American drones fired missiles into their engine rooms, officials said.
Tehran retaliated with a barrage of roughly 25 ballistic missiles. US officials said only about half reached Jordanian airspace — ten were shot down, and three landed without inflicting casualties. Iran also launched close to two dozen drones toward American bases in Bahrain, most of which were intercepted, while ballistic missiles and drones struck at US installations in Kuwait. Two additional drones aimed at a US base in Erbil, Iraq, were also intercepted.
The White House and US Central Command (CENTCOM) said the strikes were a direct response to recent IRGC attempts to attack commercial vessels in the Strait of Hormuz, as well as assaults on American bases across the region.
According to media, the operation also fits into a wider strategy being weighed by Trump and his top advisers to stop Iran from reconstituting the radar and missile systems it would need to threaten shipping through the strait.
One US official told media the strikes had degraded Iranian capabilities and "bought at least a month" of reduced risk for commercial vessels transiting the waterway.
Even amid the exchange of fire, US forces kept guiding ships through the strait — roughly 40 vessels carrying millions of barrels of oil made the transit Tuesday, a US official said.
Iranian state media reported that a US strike struck a wedding ceremony in Kuhestak, killing at least four people and injuring dozens more. CENTCOM spokesman Capt. Tim Hawkins disputed the account tied to the wedding, saying, "We're aware of the reports, which originated from Iranian state media." He added that American forces do not target civilians, contrasting US conduct with that of the IRGC.
A US official offered a blunt assessment of Iran's position, saying Tehran had lost its grip on both the strait and the broader conflict. "They got nothing today," the official said.
Media reported that this marks the first instance in which Washington has targeted Iranian tankers specifically in retaliation for assaults on vessels in the Strait of Hormuz — a departure from previous strikes aimed at enforcing a US naval blockade.
A US official said the operation stems from a newly approved "tanker for tanker" policy, greenlit by President Donald Trump, designed to discourage Iranian aggression against ships passing through the critical waterway.
Roughly 100 targets were hit Tuesday, US officials said, including Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) air-defense installations, radar systems, mine-laying equipment, communications infrastructure, anti-ship cruise missile launchers and drone-launching sites.
The two targeted tankers had been anchored off Iran's coastline, north of the US blockade line, when American drones fired missiles into their engine rooms, officials said.
Tehran retaliated with a barrage of roughly 25 ballistic missiles. US officials said only about half reached Jordanian airspace — ten were shot down, and three landed without inflicting casualties. Iran also launched close to two dozen drones toward American bases in Bahrain, most of which were intercepted, while ballistic missiles and drones struck at US installations in Kuwait. Two additional drones aimed at a US base in Erbil, Iraq, were also intercepted.
The White House and US Central Command (CENTCOM) said the strikes were a direct response to recent IRGC attempts to attack commercial vessels in the Strait of Hormuz, as well as assaults on American bases across the region.
According to media, the operation also fits into a wider strategy being weighed by Trump and his top advisers to stop Iran from reconstituting the radar and missile systems it would need to threaten shipping through the strait.
One US official told media the strikes had degraded Iranian capabilities and "bought at least a month" of reduced risk for commercial vessels transiting the waterway.
Even amid the exchange of fire, US forces kept guiding ships through the strait — roughly 40 vessels carrying millions of barrels of oil made the transit Tuesday, a US official said.
Iranian state media reported that a US strike struck a wedding ceremony in Kuhestak, killing at least four people and injuring dozens more. CENTCOM spokesman Capt. Tim Hawkins disputed the account tied to the wedding, saying, "We're aware of the reports, which originated from Iranian state media." He added that American forces do not target civilians, contrasting US conduct with that of the IRGC.
A US official offered a blunt assessment of Iran's position, saying Tehran had lost its grip on both the strait and the broader conflict. "They got nothing today," the official said.
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