The United States has struck back at Iranian oil tankers in the Persian Gulf, destroying three vessels. This came after Iran launched ballistic missiles at two American warships, according to infohub.kz.
According to U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM), American forces repelled several attacks by Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) against an aircraft carrier and a guided-missile destroyer. No U.S. personnel were injured in the incident.
Admiral Brad Cooper, commander of CENTCOM, said on Saturday: "Our message to the IRGC is clear: if you shoot at our ships, we will make you pay a higher economic price by destroying three of yours."
"We will not hesitate to defend American forces, and if necessary, we will destroy Iran's limited and vulnerable oil fleet," Cooper added.
Earlier reports indicated that Iran intends to intensify strikes on U.S. military vessels if Washington does not stop attacks on Iranian ships. The warning came from Ebrahim Zolfaghari, a representative of the central command of the "Khatam al-Anbiya" military headquarters, as reported by Fars.
"If the atrocities, destabilization, and interference with Iranian vessels continue, as well as the naval blockade of Iran, the attacks by the armed forces of the Islamic Republic of Iran against U.S. warships in the region will become more severe than before," Zolfaghari threatened.
He also stressed that Tehran is considering "expanding these attacks."