Iran claims the IRGC attacked a US carrier and destroyer with ballistic missiles.
Tehran says the strikes came in response to US actions against Iranian shipping.
The competing claims raise fresh concerns over escalation and shipping security in the Strait of Hormuz.
Iran has claimed that its Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) fired ballistic missiles at a US aircraft carrier and a Navy destroyer, marking a major escalation in the latest confrontation between Tehran and Washington around Iranian waters. The IRGC said the American warships were targeted for allegedly “harassing Iranian ships and participating in a naval blockade”.
According to Iranian media reports cited by Al Jazeera, the IRGC claimed the missile strikes damaged both vessels and forced them to leave the area. The claims have not been independently verified, and the US military has not acknowledged that its ships were damaged.
IRGC Warns Of ‘Significant Response’ To US Actions
The IRGC said the attack was carried out in response to continued US military pressure on Iranian shipping. It cited an earlier warning by US Central Command commander Admiral Brad Cooper that Washington would impose a greater economic cost on Iran if American vessels were attacked.
“If the United States continues its hostile and aggressive actions, the US regime should expect a significant response from the armed forces of the Islamic Republic of Iran. We are stronger than ever,” the IRGC said, according to Al Jazeera.
The latest claims come amid a series of attacks involving military and commercial vessels in waters around Iran, following US strikes on Iranian oil tankers.
The escalation has raised concerns over the security of shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, a critical global oil transit route.
US, Iran Trade Claims Over Oil Tankers
The Iranian claims followed US strikes on three Iranian oil tankers. The US military said the vessels were targeted after American Navy ships came under ballistic-missile fire.
Iran subsequently said it had targeted three tankers travelling through the Strait of Hormuz on what it described as unauthorised routes, along with three other vessels it alleged were affiliated with the United States.
The US military, meanwhile, said an American aircraft carrier and destroyer had successfully evaded multiple Iranian attacks. According to the Associated Press, US officials said no American personnel were injured.
Washington later said three Iranian oil carriers had been disabled or destroyed. Admiral Cooper also warned that the US would defend its forces and could target Iran’s exposed oil fleet if Tehran continued attacking American vessels.
The competing claims come as military tensions between the two countries intensify, with both sides warning of further retaliation and the risk of a broader confrontation at sea.
