US hits 3 Iranian oil tankers after saying its warships were targeted

The United States said it struck three Iranian oil tankers after its warships came under missile fire in the region. US Central Command (Centcom) said on Saturday it had "permanently disabled" a tanker near Kharg Island and another near the Strait of Hormuz, and "completely destroyed" a third in the Gulf of Oman. Centcom said it "successfully evaded" multiple attacks from the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps targeting a US aircraft carrier and guided‑missile destroyer. No American troops were harmed, the command said in a statement. Iranian state media earlier reported that one of its oil tankers had been hit by US missiles off the coast of Kharg Island. "Let the connection to the IRGC beryllium clear: If you sprout astatine 2 of our ships, we volition enforce an adjacent higher economical outgo - taking retired 3 of yours," said Admiral Brad Cooper, Centcom's commander. "We volition not hesitate to support American forces, and if necessary, destruct Iran's constricted and exposed lipid fleet." The strikes come about a week after renewed clashes between the United States and Iran, which followed a period of relative calm.