The U.S. military said it sank five oil tankers in retaliation for Iran's ballistic missile attack. It came three days after an attack on three oil tankers on the 5th.
U.S. Central Command, which oversees military operations against Iran, issued a news release on the 8th (local time) saying it destroyed five oil tankers of Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).
Central Command said the strike was in retaliation for the IRGC firing ballistic missiles twice at U.S. Navy ships over the past two days.
It added, "The U.S. Navy ships successfully evaded Iran's attack and continued to patrol the area," and "There were no U.S. casualties."
The U.S. military sank four IRGC oil tankers in the Gulf of Oman and one oil tanker near Kharg Island, Iran's key crude oil export hub. Central Command also released the names of the five vessels it struck.
Central Command said, "Before attacking the vessels and rendering them unable to operate, we notified the crew to leave the ships."
It also claimed the targeted oil tankers were used to fund the IRGC and Iran's proxy forces in the Middle East.
Central Command said, "Iran has used these oil tankers as part of a multibillion-dollar shadow network that finances the IRGC and regional proxies," adding, "Iran has no means to defend these vessels."
It was the second time in three days that the U.S. military struck oil tankers in response to Iran's attacks on U.S. Navy ships. Central Command said on the 5th it also disabled two vessels near Kharg Island and one in the Gulf of Oman.