The Iranian Revolutionary Guard (CGRI) confirmed this Saturday that it had attacked six vessels in the Strait of Hormuz and adjacent areas of the Persian Gulf, in direct retaliation for the destruction of three Iranian tankers carried out the same day by U.S. forces, according to a report by Europa Press.
The official statement from the CGRI detailed that its Navy "has attacked three tankers that were crossing the Strait of Hormuz without authorization and three ships linked to the killer of girls from the United States in other areas."
The CGRI concluded its statement with a warning of new reprisals: "If hostile and aggressive actions continue, the U.S. regime should expect strong responses from the armed forces of the Islamic Republic of Iran."
In a second announcement, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps reported that its Special Air Force launched ballistic missiles against a U.S. aircraft carrier and a frigate, accusing them of “causing problems for Iranian ships and participating in the maritime blockade,” asserting that both vessels were damaged and forced to leave the area.
The United States Central Command (CENTCOM), however, confirmed that an aircraft carrier and a guided missile destroyer successfully evaded the Iranian projectiles and that no U.S. personnel were injured.
Before the Iranian response, the U.S. struck the oil fleet of the IRGC destroying three vessels: the M/T Downy, the M/T Stark 1, and the M/T Kylo, described as part of a multimillion-dollar clandestine network that finances the IRGC and its regional allies.
Admiral Brad Cooper, commander of CENTCOM, issued a clear warning: "If two of our ships are attacked, we will impose an even greater economic cost on them: we will destroy three of theirs. We will not hesitate to defend U.S. forces and, if necessary, we will destroy Iran's limited and vulnerable oil fleet."
The spokesperson for the IRGC Navy, Alí Mohammadi, responded with equal firmness, stating that "the attacks by the United States have not caused even the slightest issue for the supremacy of the Revolutionary Guard Navy and its control over this region," and he revealed that in the ten days prior, they had "punished" and "fined" between two and five ships each night.
The CGRI also issued a direct warning to all commercial navigation in the area: "Do not be deceived by the U.S. terrorist army and avoid any suspicious movement to cross through unauthorized routes; otherwise, you will be attacked."
The episode occurs just five days after U.S. forces attacked IRGC rocket launchers on Larak Island in the Strait of Hormuz, destroying two launchers in the first military action in about a month, after which the IRGC vowed retaliation.
The conflict has been ongoing since February 28, 2026, when the U.S. and Israel launched Operation Epic Fury, which destroyed over 5,000 Iranian targets.
A ceasefire negotiated in June collapsed between July 6 and 7 when Iran resumed attacks on commercial vessels, and the 60-day memorandum's deadline expired on August 17 without a final agreement.
The Strait of Hormuz, through which between 20% and 25% of the world's crude oil passes, remains the strategic epicenter of the confrontation.
The U.S. Maritime Advisory indicated that the risk to trade in the Persian Gulf, the Strait, and the Gulf of Oman remains high at least until September 9.
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