The U.S. military on Saturday said it struck three Iranian oil tankers after Navy warships were targeted with missiles, warning that it would "if necessary, destroy Iran's limited and exposed oil fleet." This was reported by Qazaqyia.kz citing Associated Press.
The incident occurred in the Strait of Hormuz, where the U.S. and Iran both claim control over the narrow waterway vital to global energy supply. Ships were seen in the area on Saturday amid continued tensions.
Survivors of a recent strike at a wedding event in southern Iran recalled the harrowing moments of the explosions that killed 5 people and injured dozens, from their hospital beds on Saturday.
Photos by Associated Press photographer Vahid Salemi show commercial vessels anchored in the Strait of Hormuz off Bandar Abbas. One image shows relatives visiting Kiana Karimi, 14, who was wounded during a strike what Iranian media said was a U.S. strike late Tuesday. Another shows a girl playing in the water, and another shows a man, woman and boy riding a motorcycle along the waterfront.
The U.S. military statement said the strikes on Iranian oil tankers were in response to missile attacks on Navy warships. This indicates an escalation of conflict between the U.S. and Iran in the region.
Associated Press reports that this story was covered by Samy Magdy and Julia Frankel.