The US on Tuesday struck multiple Iranian tankers in response to more attempted missile attacks on a Navy warship, according to a US official, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive military operations.
Iranian state television also is reporting that US forces attacked Iranian oil tankers near the southern port of Jask and near Kharg Island in the Persian Gulf.
The latest tit-for-tat strikes come as Washington and Tehran lurch back towards fighting during more than six months of war.
An Iranian state television reporter in Jask said an Iranian tanker was struck near the coast of Yekbeni, while another explosion was heard in the area whose source and location were not immediately clear.
State television later reported that the US military attacked a second tanker near waters off Jask. It said the crews of both vessels were being evacuated by lifeboat towards the Jask coast.
Separately, state television reported that another Iranian tanker was attacked in Kharg Island anchorage area. It said the crew was safely evacuated shortly after the strike.
Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Navy has warned crews of oil tankers near ports in Kuwait and Bahrain to immediately leave their vessels, saying the ships could be targeted in retaliation for US attacks on Iranian tankers. It accused Kuwait and Bahrain of hosting US forces and assisting in the attacks.