A US missile attack struck an Iranian oil tanker near Iran's Kharg Island on Saturday as according to Iranian media with no casualties reported.
Iran's Student News Agency described the vessel as a "small ship" while semi-official agency Tasnim reported the tanker was hit by four missiles in the island's anchorage zone. Local sources said the crew was being evacuated. Iranian authorities have not issued an official statement and US Central Command has not responded to requests for comment.
Kharg Island is critical to Iran's economy, handling 90-95% of the country's crude oil exports. US President Donald Trump had earlier threatened to seize control of the island posting on August 31 that it was being "blown to smithereens" accompanied by an AI-generated video.
Tensions in the region have escalated sharply since US-Israeli strikes on Iran began in February with Tehran retaliating through missile and drone attacks on Israeli and US targets. Washington and Tehran had signed a memorandum on June 18 regarding navigation through the Strait of Hormuz but implementation has stalled over security disputes.
Iran, OPEC's third-largest oil producer has seen its exports disrupted since a US naval blockade began in mid-April, following Iran's closure of the Strait of Hormuz a route once carrying a fifth of global oil supply. Trump had said in June that a military operation on Kharg was "off the table" days before an interim ceasefire agreement was signed. Saturday's strike raises fresh concerns over renewed escalation.
