By admin 
CAIRO (AP/WNCN) — The U.S. military on Saturday said it struck three Iranian oil tankers after Navy warships were targeted with missiles, warning that it would “if necessary, destroy Iran’s limited and exposed oil fleet.”
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The military’s statement said a U.S. aircraft carrier and guided-missile destroyer evaded “multiple unprovoked Iranian attacks” while patrolling in the region and no U.S. personnel were hurt. It said two Iranian oil carriers were “permanently disabled” and the third, unladen one, was destroyed.
“The three Iranian crude oil tankers are part of a multibillion-dollar shadow network that funds the IRGC and its regional proxies,” U.S. Central Command (Centcom) said in a news release, referring to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.
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Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps oil tanker Downy after a strike at the stern, according to U.S. Central Command. Photo courtesy: U.S. Central Command -
Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps oil tanker Downy just before a strike at the stern, according to U.S. Central Command. Photo courtesy: U.S. Central Command -
Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps oil tanker Kylo (also known as the “Noxen”) after several strikes, according to U.S. Central Command. Photo courtesy: U.S. Central Command -
Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps oil tanker Kylo (also known as the “Noxen”) after several strikes, according to U.S. Central Command. Photo courtesy: U.S. Central Command -
Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps oil tanker Kylo (also known as the “Noxen”) after several strikes, according to U.S. Central Command. Photo courtesy: U.S. Central Command -
Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps oil tanker Kylo (also known as the “Noxen”) after several strikes, according to U.S. Central Command. Photo courtesy: U.S. Central Command -
Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps oil tanker Stark after a strike at the stern, according to U.S. Central Command. Photo courtesy: U.S. Central Command -
Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps oil tanker Kylo (also known as the “Noxen”) after several strikes, according to U.S. Central Command. Photo courtesy: U.S. Central Command
Earlier, Iran accused the U.S. of attacking an Iranian tanker near Kharg Island in the Persian Gulf.
The U.S. said one tanker was struck off Kharg Island and another was struck near Jask. The unladen tanker was hit in the Gulf of Oman.
“Let the message to the IRGC be clear: If you shoot at two of our ships, we will impose an even higher economic cost — taking out three of yours,” Adm. Brad Cooper, commander of Centcom, said in the release.
Centcom shared video footage of the strikes, in which a missile appeared to hit the side of the Kylo oil tanker, followed by explosions on the vessel. Later, shots appeared to strafe the same oil tanker.
Part of the video also showed a strike on the stern of oil tanker M/T Downy.
U.S. military officials also shared the names of the vessels and locations:
- oil tanker M/T Downy off the coast of Kharg Island (permanently disabled)
- oil tanker M/T Stark 1 near Jask (permanently disabled)
- empty oil tanker M/T Kylo (also known as “Noxen”) in Gulf of Oman (destroyed)
On Monday, U.S. forces hit several Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps targets, including air defense sites, radar systems, maritime assets and facilities, mine-laying capabilities, and communications sites, Centcom said.
The strikes came after the U.S. and Iran resumed attacks following a month of relative calm in the on-again, off-again war that began with U.S. and Israeli attacks on Feb. 28.
Both sides have sought to inflict both military and economic pain, and negotiations have collapsed.
“We will not hesitate to defend American forces, and if necessary, destroy Iran’s limited and exposed oil fleet,” the head of U.S. Central Command Adm. Brad Cooper said.
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