U.S. Strikes Iranian-Linked Tankers as Conflict Widens

The United States says it struck three Iranian-linked oil tankers after the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps launched ballistic missiles toward two U.S. Navy vessels, which Washington says were not damaged and suffered no injuries. U.S. Central Command said two tankers were disabled and a third destroyed because they supported an IRGC-linked shadow network, while Iran described the attacks as part of a campaign against its shipping. Iran warned of a “faster, heavier and more painful” response and claimed to have targeted six vessels, including three tankers using unauthorized routes and three allegedly affiliated with the United States, as well as an unmanned U.S. vessel, a carrier and a destroyer; those claims were not independently confirmed by Washington. The confrontation has intensified around the Strait of Hormuz, threatening commercial shipping and worsening Iran’s economic pressures amid continuing sanctions. Iran has also launched missiles and drones toward U.S. allies and facilities in Iraq’s Kurdistan Region, Bahrain, Jordan and Kuwait, while repeatedly attacking opposition-linked positions in Kurdistan; reported interceptions, casualties and damage remain disputed. Iran and aid officials have reported civilian deaths from U.S. strikes, including near Sirik and at a wedding in southern Iran, while Washington and Tehran continue to issue conflicting accounts of the conflict.