After the United States struck three Iranian oil tankers, Iran hit back by attacking oil tankers transiting the Strait of Hormuz and U.S.-linked ships.
According to AFP and others on the 5th, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) Navy said in a statement that it attacked three oil tankers that were passing through an "unauthorized route" in the Strait of Hormuz and three U.S.-related ships in other waters.
The Revolutionary Guard claimed the attack was retaliation for the U.S. military's earlier strikes on Iranian oil tankers that day. It also warned other ships not to use unauthorized routes.
Earlier, U.S. Central Command, which oversees operations against Iran, said it attacked three Iranian oil tankers in response after the Iranian Revolutionary Guard fired ballistic missiles at two U.S. Navy warships patrolling the waters.
The U.S. military said it disabled the Downey near Kharg Island, Iran's largest oil export hub, and the Stark 1 near Jask, and completely destroyed the Kilo in the Gulf of Oman.
In response, the Iranian military warned that if U.S. attacks continue, retaliation against U.S. warships "will be stronger than before and the scope of the attacks could also expand."
The United States and Iran have resumed armed exchanges since the U.S. military struck Iran's rocket launchers for laying mines in the Strait of Hormuz on the 30th of last month. Since then, Iran has attacked U.S. bases and the United States has hit IRGC-related targets, with both sides repeating retaliatory strikes.