US Missiles Strike Iranian Tanker Near Kharg Island, State Media Says
Iranian state media says a tanker was hit by four US missiles near Kharg Island, the country's main oil export hub, with no casualties reported.
An Iranian tanker was struck by four US missiles near the anchorage of Kharg Island, Iran's principal oil export terminal in the Gulf, according to the semi-official Tasnim news agency on Saturday.
Tasnim, citing a correspondent on the island and local sources, reported that the vessel was hit in the anchorage area. The crew was being evacuated, and no casualties have been reported so far.
Neither Iranian authorities nor US Central Command have issued an official statement on the incident. The report comes amid heightened tensions over the strategically vital island, which handled roughly 90 percent of Iran's crude exports before the current conflict.
The attack follows recent threats from US President Donald Trump, who on August 31 posted an AI-generated video claiming Kharg Island was being "blown to smithereens." Tehran has previously vowed a strong response to any attack on the island.
Iran, the third-largest producer within OPEC, has seen its oil exports severely disrupted since a US naval blockade began in mid-April. The blockade was imposed after Iran effectively closed the Strait of Hormuz, a waterway that carried one-fifth of the world's oil supply before the war.
Trump had earlier stated on June 11 a desire to take over Kharg Island but later said a military operation there was off the table, days before an interim agreement was signed on June 17. A direct attack on Kharg would further strain Iran's oil industry and its economy, already reeling from the effects of the blockade.