Iran targets US carrier, destroyer after American strikes on Iranian tankers

TEHRAN, Iran (MNTV) — Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps says it launched ballistic missiles at a US aircraft carrier and guided-missile destroyer after American forces struck Iranian oil tankers, marking a sharp escalation in the widening conflict between Washington and Tehran.

IRGC said its Aerospace Force targeted the two US Navy vessels after they allegedly harassed Iranian ships and participated in a maritime blockade.

The Iranian military claimed both vessels were damaged and subsequently withdrew from the area of engagement.

The US military gave a different account, saying the Iranian missiles were fired toward two American warships operating in regional waters but that the vessels successfully evaded the attacks. US Central Command said no American personnel were injured.

The missile attack came after US forces struck three Iranian crude-oil tankers.

CENTCOM said the vessels were part of an Iranian oil network and that the attacks followed the missile launches against the US ships. The American military said two tankers were permanently disabled and a third was destroyed.

Iran had already portrayed the American strikes as an escalation against its shipping.

The IRGC said its naval forces subsequently targeted three oil tankers in the Strait of Hormuz and three US-linked vessels elsewhere, describing the attacks as retaliation for American attacks on Iranian tankers. US officials have not confirmed the Iranian claims concerning the US-linked vessels.

The latest exchange follows a series of American strikes on Iranian targets during the current conflict.

On Sept. 1, US forces began striking Iranian tankers under a policy described as “tanker for tanker,” according to Axios, representing a shift toward directly retaliating against Iranian attacks on shipping.

The confrontation is part larger war that began on Feb. 28, when the United States and Israel initiated coordinated attacks across Iran.

US forces used Tomahawk cruise missiles and air-launched weapons against Iranian military, missile and air-defense sites, while Israel struck hundreds of additional targets. The operation was named “Epic Fury” by the Pentagon.

Iran responded with missile and drone attacks against Israel and US military installations across the region, including American facilities in Bahrain and other Gulf states.

The conflict later entered periods of reduced fighting and ceasefire arrangements, but disputes over Iran’s civilian nuclear program, sanctions and control of the Strait of Hormuz remained unresolved.

The Council on Foreign Relations describes the confrontation as worsening, with both sides continuing to exchange strikes.

The Strait of Hormuz has increasingly become a central battleground. The waterway is one of the world’s most important oil-shipping routes, and attacks on tankers or attempts to restrict maritime traffic threaten international energy supplies and have already contributed to rising oil prices.

The IRGC warned that further US military action would provoke what it described as heavier retaliation. Washington, meanwhile, has warned that it could continue targeting Iran’s oil fleet, raising the prospect of further attacks on commercial and military shipping.

The latest confrontation therefore risks extending the conflict beyond strikes on land into a sustained battle over Iran’s oil exports and maritime access, with the Strait of Hormuz emerging as a major flashpoint between the two sides.