Washington: US forces destroyed five Iranian crude oil carriers after Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) targeted a US Navy warship with ballistic missiles twice over the past two days, the US Central Command (CENTCOM) announced.

According to Nam News Network, the US warship successfully evaded the attempted Iranian attacks and continued to patrol regional waters, with no American personnel harmed in the incidents. CENTCOM released a statement confirming these developments, highlighting the ongoing tensions between the two nations.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio emphasized that Iran would incur significant losses for any attempts to attack US naval vessels. "Iran continues to try to hit US naval ships, and for every time they do that or try to do that, they're going to lose tankers. And I think you'll see that again today," Rubio stated during his visit to Colombia.

Iranian state media reported multiple incidents involving tankers. Iran's Tasnim news agency noted that a tanker was struck near the Kharg Islands anchorage area, though no casualties were reported and the crew was evacuated safely. Additionally, the state broadcaster IRIB reported two oil tankers were attacked near the port of Jask, with their crews evacuated to shore by lifeboat.

These incidents occur amid escalating tensions over the Strait of Hormuz, despite a memorandum signed in June aimed at reopening the strategic waterway as a step towards a wider peace agreement.