Iran retaliates with missile fire after an Iranian oil tanker was attacked by the US military
Iranian state television IRIB announced Thursday evening that Iran opened fire “as retaliation”, after an Iranian oil tanker was attacked by the US military. The information was sent shortly after explosions were reported on the island of Qeshm, located in the Strait of Hormuz.
Ships stranded in the Persian Gulf. Photo
“Enemy units in the strait were targeted by Iranian missiles and forced to retreat after sustaining damage”a military official said on state television, according to AFP, quoted by Agerpres.
The Iranian agencies Fars and Tasnim confirmed, in turn, the existence of explosions in the area. Instead, an Israeli military spokesman told AFP that “he is not aware of such an attack”.
The US military said on Wednesday it had fired on an Iranian-flagged oil tanker that tried to force Washington's blockade of Iran's ports.
“US forces operating in the Gulf acted to enforce the blockade, neutralizing an Iranian-flagged oil tanker without cargo as it attempted to sail to an Iranian port at 09:00 Washington time on Wednesday”US Central Command (Centcom) announced on the X network.
According to the US military, the crew did not respond to repeated warnings, and a plane from the aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln opened fire, damaging the ship's rudder. Following the intervention, the oil tanker did not continue its journey to Iran.
We remind you that the operation to allow ships to pass through the strait, initiated by US President Donald Trump, lasted only 48 hours, and during this time only two ships could be removed, writes CNN.
The International Maritime Organization (IMO) shows that since the beginning of the war, missile attacks have hit 32 ships, resulting in ten deaths and at least several dozen injuries. The IMO also continues to urge vessels to exercise extreme caution and stresses that military escort cannot be considered a long-term solution.
