Early Wednesday, Iran's Revolutionary Guard announced they attacked 10 ships in the Strait of Hormuz, claiming the vessels attempted to transit an 'unauthorized and unsafe' area. This development follows a U.S. assault on five Iranian tankers.
Iranian state media reported the Revolutionary Guard confirmed the attack on two American ships and eight oil tankers in the Gulf, although the United States has not verified these claims.
Previously, the U.S. military announced on Tuesday evening that they destroyed five Iranian oil tankers on September 8th. This was in response to Iran's Revolutionary Guard launching two ballistic missile attacks on a U.S. Navy warship in the past two days, according to a statement from U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM).
CENTCOM reported that the U.S. military destroyed the oil tankers "Kaviz," "Sharmenar," "Horizon 1," and "Risko" in the Gulf of Oman.
The U.S. military revealed that these Iranian tankers were part of a covert network financing the Revolutionary Guard, emphasizing that "Iran has no means to defend its oil tankers."
CENTCOM confirmed that the American warship successfully evaded Iranian attacks and continued its patrols in territorial waters, noting that "no U.S. personnel were harmed."
Meanwhile, Iran’s "Mehr" and "Fars" news agencies reported hearing explosions in two coastal regions in southern Iran on Tuesday night. A U.S. official confirmed strikes on Iranian oil tankers near Khark and Jask.
The United States and Iran twice announced ceasefire agreements in April and June to restore free navigation through the Strait of Hormuz amid a conflict ongoing for nearly six months, but these agreements quickly collapsed.
The U.S. reinstated a blockade on Iranian ports and imposed restrictions on their ship movements on July 13th after a war ceasefire agreement fell through, aiming to deprive Tehran of oil sales, its main source of foreign currency.