US Strikes Iranian Tankers Iran Warns Gulf Shipping

The United States military conducted strikes on several Iranian oil tankers in regional waters, prompting Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) Navy to issue a warning to crews aboard commercial vessels near Kuwaiti and Bahraini ports to evacuate their ships. The IRGC stated that these vessels could become targets, escalating tensions in the Gulf and raising concerns about the security of commercial shipping lanes. U.S. officials reported that the strikes on Tuesday were a response to attempted ballistic missile attacks by Iran targeting U.S. Navy vessels operating in the region. At least three Iranian tankers were struck, including one near Kharg Island, Iran's primary crude oil export hub. Iranian media reported that a tanker was hit by a U.S. missile several miles from Kharg Island, and its crew was evacuated. The Pentagon had not immediately commented on separate reports of explosions near Kharg Island and at the port of Jask. The IRGC's warning, broadcast by Iranian state media, specifically targeted tankers anchored offshore or docked at ports in Kuwait and Bahrain, accusing the countries of complicity with U.S. actions.