US Missiles Hit Iranian Tanker, Tehran Media Says
US Missiles Hit Iranian Tanker, Tehran Media Says
The News
An Iranian tanker was hit by four U.S. missiles on Saturday at the anchorage off Kharg Island, Iran's main oil export hub in the Gulf, the semi-official Iranian news agency Tasnim reported, citing its correspondent on the island.
Tasnim quoted local sources as saying there were no casualties and that the tanker's crew was being evacuated.
There was no immediate official announcement from Iranian authorities, and U.S. Central Command did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Reuters. The Fars news agency reported only that explosions had been heard near Kharg Island and said the origin was unknown.
Timeline
The United States begins a naval blockade of Iranian oil exports, imposed on Iranian ports after Iran effectively shut the Strait of Hormuz, a waterway that carried one-fifth of the world's oil supply before the war.
President Donald Trump says he wants to take over Kharg Island, then says a threatened U.S. military operation there is off the table for now.
Tehran and Washington sign an interim agreement aimed at ending the war.
After a lull in the fighting, the U.S. begins striking Iranian targets again, according to Deutsche Welle. The war is now in its seventh month.
Trump posts a one-line message on social media, accompanied by an AI-generated video, saying Kharg Island was being "blown to smithereens."
Explosions are reported near Kharg Island. Tasnim says a tanker at the anchorage was hit by four U.S. missiles.
Reactions
Neither the U.S. government nor the Iranian government has commented on the strike, Deutsche Welle reported. U.S. Central Command did not immediately respond to Reuters.
Iranian authorities have vowed a strong response if Kharg Island is attacked.
Iranian state and semi-official outlets are not telling one story. Tasnim reported a U.S. missile strike on a tanker; Fars said only that explosions were heard and the origin was unknown. Official Iranian agencies reported a strike that appeared to target an oil tanker but also said no smoke could be seen rising from the area, according to DW.
What's Next
Watch for an official statement from U.S. Central Command or the Iranian government — so far there is neither, and the only account of American missiles comes from Iranian media.
The second thing to watch is oil. A confirmed U.S. attack on Kharg would put further pressure on an Iranian oil industry and economy already reeling from the American naval blockade, and Tehran has promised retaliation if the island itself is struck.
More
Iran is the third-largest producer in the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries and exported 90% of its crude through Kharg Island before the war, though those flows have been disrupted since the U.S. blockade began in mid-April.
Elsewhere in the region on Saturday, flare-ups continued between Israel and Hezbollah over the strategic Ali Taher hill in southern Lebanon, more than two months after a ceasefire took effect, DW reported.
Poll
Should the U.S. strike Iran's Kharg Island oil hub?
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