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The US military said Saturday it had struck and destroyed three oil tankers linked to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) after the Iranian military organization fired on American warships.<\/strong><\/p>\n \u201cFollowing Iran\u2019s failed attacks, CENTCOM permanently disabled the IRGC crude oil carriers M\/T Downy off the coast of Kharg Island and M\/T Stark 1 near Jask,\u201d Central Command (CENTCOM) said in a statement on X.<\/p>\n \u201cAmerican forces also completely destroyed the unladen crude oil carrier M\/T Kylo\u2026 in the Gulf of Oman, striking the vessel in multiple critical locations to render it inoperable after the crew was directed to abandon ship,\u201d it continued.<\/p>\n Video posted by CENTCOM showed large fireballs and billowing flames after projectiles slammed into the ships.<\/p>\n The three ships targeted were \u201cpart of a multibillion-dollar shadow network that funds the IRGC and its regional proxies,\u201d it said.<\/p>\n \u201cIran has no means by which to defend them,\u201d it added.<\/p>\n No US soldiers were hurt after a destroyer and aircraft carrier \u201csuccessfully evaded multiple unprovoked Iranian attacks,\u201d it said.<\/p>\n CENTCOM\u2019s commander, Admiral Brad Cooper, said: \u201cLet the message to the IRGC be clear: If you shoot at two of our ships, we will impose an even higher economic cost \u2014 taking out three of yours.\u201d<\/p>\n The strikes come as Washington insists that it is working to economically strangle Iran, including a blockade of its ports, while keeping alive the threat of military action.<\/p>\n Iran, for its part, has blocked commercial traffic through the critical Strait of Hormuz by threatening shipping that doesn\u2019t have its permission to transit.<\/p>\n The two sides exchanged fire earlier this week, with the US saying it was targeting the IRGC\u2019s ability to attack commercial shipping while Iran fired on US military bases in nearby Jordan.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n