Iran boasts of hitting US Navy as CENTCOM exposes fate of 10 Iranian tankers

TEHRAN, IRAN: Iran has launched its most expansive maritime retaliation yet after the US destroyed five Iranian oil tankers, with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps claiming it attacked 10 vessels around the Strait of Hormuz on Wednesday, September 9.

The IRGC said the targets included two US Navy ships and eight oil tankers, escalating an already dangerous confrontation around the strategic waterway that carries a major share of the world's energy supplies.

Washington, however, rejected Tehran's account and said no US warship had been hit.

The clash came a day after American forces destroyed five Iranian tankers following attempted Iranian missile attacks on a US Navy vessel, according to the US military.

Iran refuses to budge in Hormuz

Tehran's response came on Wednesday, with the IRGC announcing attacks against vessels it described as operating in waters around the Strait of Hormuz.

Iran claimed its forces had struck two American naval vessels and eight oil tankers.

The announcement came as Iranian forces also launched ballistic missiles toward a US military facility in Jordan.

Iran has also warned that Wednesday's strikes could be only the beginning.

The IRGC said it would respond on a much larger scale if attacks against Iran continued, threatening to hit 20 targets for every two or three attacks carried out by its adversaries.

Iran also indicated that it was preparing to expand a maritime exclusion zone toward Chabahar on its southeastern coast.

That threat could further restrict commercial movement through the Strait of Hormuz, where shipping activity has already fallen sharply.

CENTCOM rejects Iran's claim

Tehran's account of the maritime strikes was immediately challenged by Washington.

CENTCOM directly rejected the claim by Iran, calling it “completely FALSE” and stating that no US Navy warship had been struck and all IRGC attempts had failed.

The US military's account also directly undercut Tehran's portrayal of the exchange as a successful Iranian counterattack.

CENTCOM said the Iranian forces had tried to hit US warships but failed, while American forces had already destroyed 10 Iranian tankers over the previous week.

That figure includes the five Iranian crude carriers destroyed on September 8 after the IRGC twice attempted to attack a US Navy warship with ballistic missiles, according to CENTCOM.

The command said the American warship evaded both attacks and continued operating without US personnel being injured.