US and Iran trade retaliatory maritime strikes as conflict flares following month of relative calm
The US struck three Iran-linked oil tankers on Saturday; Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps responded by attacking six vessels in the region.
What happened
On Saturday, the US military reported it had "permanently disabled" two Iran-linked oil tankers near Kharg Island and "completely destroyed" a third in the Gulf of Oman. US Central Command stated the tankers were part of a "multi-billion-dollar shadow network" funding the IRGC and regional proxies. Iran's state media confirmed the strikes, reporting no casualties on the tanker near Kharg Island and that crews were evacuated via lifeboats. In response, Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps attacked six vessels—three oil tankers in the Strait of Hormuz using "unauthorised" routes and three vessels "affiliated" with the US in other areas. The strikes follow a Friday statement by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth threatening to "destroy and sink" Iranian oil tankers if Iran attacked US ships, and come after the US and Iran both launched attacks following a month of relative calm that ended a week prior.
Context
The conflict, which began 28 February with US-Israeli strikes on Iran and has included Iranian retaliation against Israel, US bases, and Gulf allies, has effectively closed the Strait of Hormuz—a critical waterway carrying roughly 20% of global oil and liquefied natural gas supplies. A 60-day ceasefire formally expired last month with no diplomatic settlement evident. The closure has raised global energy prices; US diesel averaged $5.85 per gallon on Friday, up from $3.71 a year ago, creating pressure on President Trump ahead of November midterm elections. Iran has leveraged control of the strait as a negotiating tool, repeatedly targeting vessels using southern routes through Omani waters that bypass Iranian-preferred shipping lanes. Trump has characterized the conflict as "small potatoes" and "intermittent," not a "war," though the US has announced tougher economic measures against Iran and any countries doing business with it.
What's disputed
US Central Command claimed to have "successfully evaded" multiple IRGC attacks on a US aircraft carrier and guided-missile destroyer earlier Saturday; Iran's confirmation of US attacks on tankers does not address this claim. Vice President JD Vance stated he was "extremely sceptical" of Iranian claims that a US strike killed at least four people, including two children, at a wedding in southern Iran on Tuesday, though the US said it would investigate; the Iranian Red Crescent Society attributed shrapnel from a missile to the ceremony and Tehran called it a "war crime."