Military clashes between the US and Iran continued on the 5th, with Washington reporting it had struck three Iranian oil tankers in response to recent attacks. Tehran subsequently stated that "US forces, driven to desperation by the blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, attacked three Iranian vessels, causing damage." In retaliation, Iran targeted several oil tankers and American ships, while issuing a warning that vessels in the Persian Gulf should avoid using illegal shipping lanes.

Analysts suggest that with ongoing military operations and no immediate solution to the Strait of Hormuz issue, regional instability is likely to persist in the short term.

US Claims It Struck Three Iranian Oil Tankers

On the 5th, the US Central Command issued a statement asserting that American forces had hit three Iranian oil tankers in response to an attack by Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) on two US warships "patrolling regional waters." The statement noted that a US aircraft carrier and a guided-missile destroyer evaded multiple Iranian assaults, and that the IRGC's missile strikes caused no American casualties.

It further added that US forces subsequently targeted two Iranian oil tankers near Kharg Island and the southern port city of Jask, rendering them "permanently incapacitated." Additionally, a strike was carried out on an empty tanker in the Gulf of Oman, damaging several critical sections of its hull and "completely destroying" the vessel.

Iran Says It Struck Three US-Linked Ships and Tankers

Following the attacks, the IRGC Navy released a statement declaring that "American forces, out of desperation over the blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, struck three Iranian oil tankers, causing losses." In response, the IRGC Navy targeted three oil tankers and three US-linked vessels in the strait.

The naval force warned that all ships in the Persian Gulf should avoid illegal shipping lanes, or they would inevitably become targets. As of now, US officials have not confirmed the details of these claims.

Iranian Military Warns of Potential Larger Strikes on the US

On the same day, Iran's Foreign Ministry issued a statement strongly condemning Washington's "aggressive acts" against Iranian commercial vessels in the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman. The statement described these measures as a continuation of US military aggression, part of a broader campaign of maritime blockade and economic warfare against Iran, and a clear violation of the UN Charter. It labeled the actions as war crimes posing an obvious threat to international peace and the safety of commercial shipping.

The ministry emphasized that Iran resolutely defends its national sovereignty and interests, opposing US "state terrorism" and aggression, including the ongoing maritime blockade, economic warfare, and attacks on commercial vessels. Also on the 5th, Iran's Khatam al-Anbiya Central Headquarters, the armed forces' command, issued a warning that if the US persists in unsafe behavior, harasses Iranian vessels, or continues its blockade, Iranian forces will launch more severe strikes on American warships in the region, potentially expanding the scope of their attacks.