The United States struck Iranian oil tankers early Wednesday following an attack on a U.S. Navy warship, with explosions reported near Iran's Kharg Island oil terminal, according to Jewish Breaking News. Tehran is now threatening tankers in Kuwaiti and Bahraini ports and warning crews to evacuate.
The United States struck Iranian oil tankers Tuesday evening, with explosions reported near the Kharg Island oil terminal and the port of Jask, according to Fox News and confirmed by US officials. The strikes came in retaliation for an attack on a US Navy warship. Following the strikes, Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) threatened tankers in Kuwaiti and Bahraini ports and ordered crews to evacuate, warning of retaliatory attacks on all anchored tankers there.
Initial reports Tuesday evening, at 21:56 Jerusalem, cited Iranian sources claiming three tankers had been struck (v4), while Iran warned of retaliation against US bases (v3). Within minutes, a US official confirmed ongoing airstrikes to The Jerusalem Post (v5, 21:56). Subsequent confirmations from Fox News detailed strikes near Kharg and Jask (v6, v8), with senior US officials describing the operation as part of a broader economic campaign to damage Iran's economy (v7, 21:56). By 21:56 Jerusalem, a US official stated the strikes targeted Iran-linked tankers in response to attempts to attack US vessels (v10), and the IRGC issued a warning to crews in Bahrain and Kuwait (v9).
The Zioneer had earlier reported that the IRGC evacuated crews from Iranian tankers in Gulf ports after previous US retaliatory strikes, and that two damaged vessels were relocated to the port of Jask (Eye on Zion, 00:18 Jerusalem). Iran has long threatened to disrupt shipping in the Strait of Hormuz and target US regional assets, as The Zioneer has covered in past bulletins.
The extent of damage to the tankers and any casualties remain unconfirmed. The Iranian claim of three tankers being hit has not been independently verified. The situation remains fluid, with the IRGC warning of imminent further retaliation.
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