US Military Strikes Three Iranian Oil Tankers Following Missile Attacks on Warships
16 sources across 11 countries
Who reported this
- CNN
- Al-Monitor
- Bloomberg
- G1
- CNN Brasil
- Haaretz
- The Times of Israel
- BBC News
- Reuters
- Infobae
- France 24
- Deutsche Welle
- ANSA
- Asahi Shimbun
- Aftenposten
- El Pais
What the colours mean
- Left
- Centre-left
- Centre
- Centre-right
- Right
- A hatched block means the outlet is affiliated with, or controlled by, a state.
Political lean describes where an outlet sits within the politics of its own country. It is never a position on a single global scale.
Political lean is comparable inside one country and not across them, which is why the bar groups by country first. Publicly funded broadcasters are not marked as state-linked.
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The United States military struck three Iranian oil tankers on Saturday in retaliation for ballistic missile attacks launched by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) against two US Navy warships. According to US Central Command (CENTCOM), a US aircraft carrier and a guided missile destroyer successfully evaded multiple unprovoked attacks, and no American personnel were harmed. In response, US forces permanently disabled the M/T Downy off the coast of Kharg Island and the M/T Stark 1 near Jask. A third vessel, the unladen M/T Kylo, also known as the Noxen, was completely destroyed in the Gulf of Oman. CENTCOM stated that the three tankers were part of a multimillion dollar clandestine network used to finance the IRGC and its regional allies.
Admiral Brad Cooper, commander of CENTCOM, stated that the strikes were intended to impose a higher economic cost on Iran. He warned that the US would not hesitate to destroy Iran's limited and vulnerable oil fleet if necessary. Iranian state media and the Tasnim news agency reported that a tanker near Kharg Island, a critical hub for Iranian oil exports, was hit by four US missiles. These reports indicated there were no casualties and that crews were being evacuated. CNN reported obtaining audio of a US military aircraft warning the crew of the M/T Stark 1 to abandon ship before firing.
The incident occurs amid a broader conflict that began with US and Israeli strikes on Iran on February 28. Tensions have escalated further with reports of fighting between Israel and Hezbollah in Lebanon, as well as clashes between Houthi rebels and government forces in Yemen. While some US officials have downplayed the scale of the conflict, President Donald Trump has previously threatened to capture Kharg Island, and recently shared an AI generated video depicting its destruction.
How each side framed it
- Left
- This outlet focused on the Iranian perspective and the specific targeting of a key oil export hub.
- Centre-left
- These outlets highlighted the broader regional instability, including settler violence in the West Bank and the humanitarian impact of the conflict.
- Centre
- These outlets focused on the military specifics of the exchange and the strategic warnings issued by US command.
- Centre-right
- These outlets emphasized the economic warfare aspect and the role of the IRGC's clandestine financing networks.
Sources
- Centre ANSA: USA, 3 Iranian tankers hit after the launch of missiles against American ships
- Centre-right Aftenposten: USA attacked Iranian oil tankers
- Centre Al-Monitor: US strikes three Iranian oil tankers after IRGC attack on American naval ships, Central Command says
- Centre-left Asahi Shimbun: Projectile hits Iranian tanker near export hub, local reports say "US attacked"
- Centre BBC News: US hits three Iranian oil tankers after saying its warships were targeted
- Centre Bloomberg: US Strikes 3 Iranian Tankers in Retaliation for IRGC Attacks
- Centre-left CNN: Three Iranian tankers struck in retaliation for missile attacks, US military says
- Centre CNN Brasil: USA hits three Iranian tankers with missiles near Kharg Island
- Centre Deutsche Welle: Iran war: Explosions reported near Kharg Island
- Centre-left El Pais: United States attacks three Iranian tankers, one of them near the strategic island of Kharg, in response to attacks by Tehran
- Centre France 24: Live: US army announces it has struck three Iranian oil tankers
- Centre-left G1: Iran accuses USA of attack on tanker amid escalation of tensions in the Middle East
- Left Haaretz: Iran accuses U.S. of striking oil tanker near key Persian Gulf terminal
- Centre-right Infobae: United States attacked three Iranian tankers in response to the launch of missiles by the Revolutionary Guard
- Centre-right Infobae: USA destroys three Iranian tankers in retaliation for an attack against two warships
- Centre Reuters: Iranian tanker hit by US attack near Iran's Kharg Island, Tasnim says - Reuters
- Centre The Times of Israel: US military says it destroyed 3 Iranian oil tankers after IRGC targeted its warships
100% of the statements in this article were traced back to the source articles listed above.