Tehran: Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) announced on Sunday that its Aerospace Force targeted a US aircraft carrier and a Navy destroyer with ballistic missiles, claiming both vessels sustained damage and subsequently withdrew from the engagement area.
According to a statement carried by the official IRNA news agency, the IRGC stated that the American warships were targeted after harassing Iranian vessels and participating in a maritime blockade. The Guards further claimed that US Central Command (CENTCOM) had acknowledged the targeting of two navy warships, framing the US statement as confirmation of the operation, and warned of heavier responses if military actions continue.
In a separate statement early Sunday, the IRGC Navy reported attacking an unmanned US military vessel attempting to enter a protected area in the Strait of Hormuz. Details regarding the nature of the attack or damage to the remote vessel were not provided. The IRGC reiterated that the Strait of Hormuz remains under Iranian management and called for the departure of US forces from the region.
The missile launches follow an IRGC Navy report on Saturday stating it had targeted three oil tankers in the Strait of Hormuz alongside three US-linked vessels in response to American actions against Iranian shipping.
CENTCOM disputed the Iranian account of ship damage, stating that two US Navy warships patrolling regional waters successfully evaded incoming Iranian ballistic missiles. CENTCOM confirmed no American personnel were harmed during the incident.
In response, US forces launched strikes against three Iranian crude oil tankers. CENTCOM subsequently announced on social media that American service members had sunk the Iranian oil tanker M/T Kylo in the Gulf of Oman.
The military friction coincides with heightened political rhetoric and economic pressures. The US administration under President Donald Trump has expanded sanctions and established a naval blockade on Iranian ports. The blockade was enforced after Iran effectively shut down the Strait of Hormuz, a key shipping route through which one-fifth of global oil supplied passed before the war.
On August 31, President Trump posted an AI-generated video depicting an attack on Kharg Island, Iran's primary oil export hub, which handles 90 percent of its crude exports. Iranian authorities have threatened a strong response if the facility is targeted. The escalating conflict continues to impact global energy markets, with Brent crude futures closing at $96.28 a barrel on Friday.
