Iran says missiles hit US carrier, destroyer in latest escalation

Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said on Sunday that it launched ballistic missiles at a US aircraft carrier and a navy destroyer, claiming the two warships were damaged and forced to withdraw from the area. The IRGC Aerospace Force said it targeted the vessels because they had been harassing Iranian ships and participating in the US-led naval blockade against Iran. “After sustaining damage and fearing another reprisal, the two warships were forced to flee the area of engagement, ” the IRGC said in a statement carried by Iran’s official IRNA news agency. The force said the US military’s Central Command (CENTCOM) had acknowledged that the two warships came under multiple Iranian strikes, describing the US statement as confirmation of the operation. CENTCOM, however, said Iranian forces had launched ballistic missiles towards two US navy warships operating in regional waters, adding that both vessels evaded the attacks and that no US personnel were injured. The IRGC hailed the strikes as evidence of its offensive capabilities and warned that continued US military action would trigger “devastating” responses from Iran’s armed forces. The latest exchange came after the IRGC Navy said on Saturday that it had targeted three US-linked vessels and three oil tankers in and around the Strait of Hormuz. According to the IRGC, US forces had earlier attacked three Iranian oil tankers, prompting Iranian forces to retaliate by striking three tankers travelling through what Tehran described as an unauthorised route in the strait, as well as three vessels affiliated with the United States in other areas. Iran has maintained the closure of the Strait of Hormuz since the latest US-Israeli military offensive against the country began on February 28. Tehran has warned commercial vessels against relying on US claims that the strategic waterway remains open, saying ships attempting to transit through unauthorised routes would do so at their own risk. The IRGC Navy has also urged vessels operating in the Persian Gulf and near the Strait of Hormuz to avoid what it called “suspicious movement” aimed at transiting unauthorised waterways.

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