U.S. Strikes 2 Iranian Government Tankers Under New ‘Tanker-for-Tanker’ Policy In Strait Of Hormuz

The U.S. military has struck two Iranian government tankers on Tuesday during a series of attacks on Iran, U.S. officials said, according to Axios.

It was the first reported case of the U.S. military targeting Iranian tankers in response to attacks on ships in the Strait of Hormuz. 

Earlier U.S. strikes on tankers aimed to stop them from violating a U.S. naval blockade, Axios reported.

A U.S. official said President Donald Trump had approved a new “tanker-for-tanker” policy to discourage Iran from attacking tankers travelling through the Strait of Hormuz.

The United States struck about 100 targets in Iran during the operation, U.S. officials said. 

The targets included Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) air defence sites, communications sites, mine-laying capabilities, radar systems, attack drone launchers and anti-ship cruise missile launchers.

Two Iranian tankers hit

The two Iranian government tankers were anchored off Iran’s coast, north of the U.S. naval blockade line.

U.S. drones fired missiles at the tankers’ engine rooms, U.S. officials said.

The strikes were part of a U.S. plan to stop Iran from rebuilding the radar and missile systems that could be used to attack ships in the Strait of Hormuz, Axios reported. 

A U.S. official said the operation was intended to lower the risk of Iranian attacks on oil tankers, U.S. Navy ships and U.S. Air Force aircraft. 

Another U.S. official told Axios that the strikes had weakened Iran’s ability to attack ships in the strait and had “bought at least a month” of lower threat levels for commercial ships.

The White House and U.S. Central Command said the strikes were carried out in response to recent attempted IRGC attacks on commercial ships in the Strait of Hormuz and attacks on U.S. bases in the region. 

Iran fires missiles and drones

Iran responded by launching 25 ballistic missiles, U.S. officials said. 

They said about half reached Jordanian airspace, while 10 were intercepted and three landed without causing casualties. 

Iran also launched two dozen drones at U.S. bases in Bahrain. Most were intercepted, according to a U.S. official.

Iran also fired ballistic missiles and drones at U.S. bases in Kuwait.

Two drones were launched at a U.S. base in Erbil, in Iraq’s Kurdistan region, but were intercepted, U.S. officials said.

The strikes followed a weekend exchange of fire, the first since late July, and attacks on Monday involving two tankers leaving the Strait of Hormuz. 

Ships keep moving through the strait

U.S. forces continued guiding ships through the Strait of Hormuz while the two sides exchanged fire.

About 40 ships carrying millions of barrels of oil passed through the waterway on Tuesday, according to a U.S. official.

The official said U.S. forces intercepted multiple anti-ship cruise missiles and drones fired by the IRGC towards the ships.

None of the ships was hit.

Iran reports civilian deaths

Iranian media reported that a U.S. strike hit a wedding ceremony in the town of Kuhestak. The reports said at least four people were killed and at least 35 were wounded.

The Iranian Red Crescent reported that five people were killed and 50 wounded at a wedding near Sirik, a coastal area on the Strait of Hormuz.

Mehr news agency said a 4-year-old child was among those killed. IRNA, citing a provincial official, reported that 68 people were wounded.

CENTCOM spokesman Capt. Tim Hawkins said the U.S. military was aware of the reports and said they came from Iranian state media.

“The U.S. military never targets civilians, unlike the IRGC,” Hawkins said.

References: Axios, AA