Iranian state television has reported that the country launched a missile attack on a United States oil tanker in the Gulf on Thursday, marking the latest escalation targeting energy infrastructure in the region.
According to a statement by Iran’s Revolutionary Guards aired on state TV, the vessel was struck by a missile in the northern part of the Persian Gulf and is currently ablaze. The claim has yet to be independently verified.
The reported strike comes amid heightened tensions, as the Guards also declared they have “full control” of the Strait of Hormuz — the strategic waterway linking the Gulf to the Indian Ocean and serving as a critical route for global oil and gas shipments.
Earlier, Iran’s Foreign Minister, Abbas Araghchi, accused the United States of carrying out what he described as an “atrocity” by sinking an Iranian naval ship near Sri Lanka. He warned that Washington would “bitterly regret” the move.
In a post on X, Araghchi alleged that the Iranian frigate Dena, which he said was on a goodwill visit to India and had about 130 sailors on board, was attacked without warning in international waters, approximately 2,000 miles from Iran’s coastline.
He added that the United States would face consequences for what he termed a dangerous precedent.
AFP
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