US Strikes Iranian Oil Tankers as Iran-US Conflict Escalates in Strait of Hormuz
The United States has expanded its military campaign against Iran by targeting two Iranian oil tankers during the latest wave of air and naval strikes in southern Iran.
Two US officials said American drones targeted the engine rooms of the government-affiliated tankers off Iran’s southern coast, reportedly aiming to disable the vessels rather than destroy them.
The strikes mark a shift in US tactics. For months, Washington’s attacks had largely focused on Iranian military infrastructure linked to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), which the US says has been involved in attacks on shipping in the Strait of Hormuz.
One US official said the tanker strikes were carried out in response to IRGC attacks on two oil tankers transporting Saudi crude off Oman on Monday. Washington and Riyadh have blamed Iran for those attacks.
The latest strikes introduce commercial oil vessels as a new category of target in the US campaign, raising concerns about further escalation around one of the world’s most important energy routes.
Footage released by US Central Command showed infrared images of explosions near the sterns of two tanker ships during the latest US air and naval operations.
The tactical shift comes as Washington seeks to disrupt Iran’s ability to threaten commercial shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, while Tehran continues to challenge US and allied military pressure in the region.
