Iran vows ‘severe’ retaliation after US destroys three IRGC oil tankers

The United States destroyed three Iranian oil tankers on Saturday after Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps fired ballistic missiles at two American warships, triggering a rapid cycle of retaliation that saw Tehran strike six vessels in return and warn of further escalation across the Persian Gulf.

US Central Command said it targeted tankers linked to the IRGC, permanently disabling the M/T Downy off the coast of Kharg Island and the M/T Stark 1 near Jask, while completely destroying the unladen M/T Kylo in the Gulf of Oman after its crew was directed to abandon ship. CENTCOM commander Admiral Brad Cooper framed the response in explicitly economic terms: "If you shoot at two of our ships, we will impose an even higher economic cost — taking out three of yours."afp+2

The three vessels were "part of a multibillion-dollar shadow network that funds the IRGC and its regional proxies," CENTCOM said.straitstimes

Iran Retaliates, Warns of Expansion

Hours later, the IRGC announced its naval forces had "targeted three oil tankers on the unauthorised route of the Strait of Hormuz and three vessels affiliated with the child-killing America in other areas." The IRGC also claimed to have struck a US military unmanned surface vessel. CENTCOM did not immediately respond to questions about the Iranian claims, and the British maritime security service UKMTO reported no immediate confirmation of civilian tankers being hit.nationalheraldindia+2

Iran's Khatam al-Anbiya central military command warned that if American strikes continued, retaliation against US warships would be "more severe than before and there is a possibility of expansion." Ali Mohammadi, deputy commander for political affairs of the IRGC Navy, disclosed that over a recent 10-day stretch, Iranian forces had struck between two and five vessels per night.sedaily+2

Fuel Prices and Political Fallout

The escalating confrontation has pushed fuel costs to historic levels. The national average diesel price hit a record $5.88 per gallon on Saturday, according to AAA, surpassing the previous record set during Russia's 2022 invasion of Ukraine. GasBuddy petroleum analyst Patrick De Haan warned that "record diesel will start funneling down into the economy," given that roughly three-quarters of US commercial vehicles run on diesel.newsmax

The Trump administration has sought to minimize the six-month conflict ahead of November's midterm elections. President Trump called the war "small potatoes" on Friday, while Vice President JD Vance said he "wouldn't call it a war" and claimed "there is no active shooting" — remarks made even as both sides exchanged fire. The conflict has cost US taxpayers more than $37.5 billion and killed 18 American service members since operations began on Feb. 28, according to the Associated Press.kurdistan24+3

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, meanwhile, has laid out plans for the "economic asphyxiation" of Iran, with new sanctions announced Friday against a Turkish bank over alleged IRGC ties. But with the Strait of Hormuz — through which one-fifth of global oil previously flowed — remaining contested, the gap between the administration's rhetoric and the reality on the water continues to widen.straitstimes+1