The U.S. military said on Saturday that it had 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." The strikes marked a sharp escalation in the ongoing conflict between the two nations, which has seen repeated attacks and counterattacks since late February.

According to the military's statement, a U.S. aircraft carrier and a destroyer evaded "multiple unprovoked Iranian attacks" while patrolling in the region, and no U.S. personnel were hurt. The statement said that two Iranian oil carriers were "permanently disabled" and that a third, unladen tanker was destroyed. The tankers, the U.S. said, were part of a shadow network helping to fund Iran's powerful Revolutionary Guard and its armed proxies in the region.

The strikes came a day after President Donald Trump sought to minimize the conflict as "small potatoes," and nearly a week after the U.S. and Iran resumed attacks following a month of relative calm. The war, which began with U.S. and Israeli attacks on Feb. 28, has been marked by efforts on both sides to inflict military and economic pain, and negotiations have collapsed.

Adm. Brad Cooper, the head of U.S. Central Command, said: "We will not hesitate to defend American forces, and if necessary, destroy Iran's limited and exposed oil fleet." The military also shared what it called video footage of the strikes.

Iran, for its part, accused the U.S. of attacking an Iranian tanker near Kharg Island in the Persian Gulf. Iranian state television reported that four U.S. missiles struck a tanker about six miles (10 kilometers) from Kharg Island, home to a terminal through which the country exports most of its oil. The U.S. said one tanker was struck off Kharg Island and another near Jask, east of the Strait of Hormuz, while the unladen tanker was hit in the Gulf of Oman. After the U.S. statement, Iran's state broadcaster reported the two other tankers attacked, saying their crews had evacuated.

Context of escalating conflict

The strikes are part of a broader escalation that has seen the Strait of Hormuz effectively shut, a key waterway for global oil supply. The U.S. military has been helping to guide ships through the strait as Tehran asserts control and targets some vessels, though overall traffic remains low. A U.S. blockade of Iranian oil exports, which began in mid-April, has disrupted flows. President Trump threatened in June to seize Kharg Island, and in August he posted an artificial intelligence-generated video of the island being blown up.

The military actions have also had civilian consequences. Earlier this week, a U.S. bombardment of southern Iran killed at least five people, and one strike hit a wedding. Masoumeh Zarei, 13, was wounded in the attack and spoke to The Associated Press from a hospital. The elected government of Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian has said it favors a negotiated end to the war, but Vice President JD Vance said on Thursday there was no prospect for renewed talks as long as Iran goes after ships.

A spokesperson with Iran's joint military command warned that strikes against U.S. military ships would be more severe if the U.S. continues to interfere with Iranian shipping, as reported by the state broadcaster. Danny Citrinowicz, an Iran expert at Israel's Institute for National Security Studies, said on X that Iran targeting a U.S. aircraft carrier with a ballistic missile indicates Tehran is becoming increasingly willing to accept risks it previously sought to avoid.

The U.S. strike on the tankers came a day after the Treasury Department announced sanctions against a small Turkish investment bank and two subsidiaries, which the U.S. accuses of facilitating funds for an arm of Iran's Revolutionary Guard. That was the second major financial institution targeted under what the U.S. calls "Operation Economic Outcast."