WASHINGTON — The confrontation between the United States and Iran has entered a more dangerous phase after U.S. forces struck three Iranian crude-oil tankers on Saturday, according to the account provided by U.S. officials.

The attacks took place in waters near Kharg Island and the Gulf of Oman, following Iranian ballistic-missile launches directed at U.S. naval forces operating in the region. U.S. Central Command said the American vessels, including an aircraft carrier and a guided-missile destroyer, successfully avoided the incoming missiles and reported no injuries among U.S. personnel.

U.S. officials said the three Iranian tankers were selected because they were allegedly connected to Iran’s so-called shadow fleet, a network of vessels used to move Iranian oil while attempting to evade international sanctions.

The military operation reportedly left two of the tankers disabled, while the third was destroyed. The strikes represent a major expansion of the U.S. response to Iranian attacks and raise concerns about the future security of commercial shipping across one of the world’s most strategically important energy corridors.

U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth delivered an unusually direct warning following the operation, saying that Iranian attacks on American ships would trigger attacks against Iranian oil tankers. His statement signaled that Washington is prepared to link military attacks on U.S. forces with economic pressure against Iran’s oil-export network.

Iran’s government strongly rejected the American operation. The Iranian Foreign Ministry described the strikes as an act of aggression and warned that Washington and countries supporting its actions would be held accountable for the consequences.

Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps also claimed that it had carried out retaliatory operations involving oil tankers using what it described as unauthorized routes, as well as three vessels associated with the United States. However, those Iranian claims had not been independently confirmed at the time of reporting.

The latest exchange comes against a backdrop of months of confrontation between Washington and Tehran. Previous efforts to contain the fighting have struggled to produce a durable settlement, while disruptions affecting maritime traffic through the Strait of Hormuz have added another layer of pressure to global energy markets.

The U.S. appears to be pursuing a strategy in which pressure on Iranian oil shipments accompanies military efforts to deter further attacks by the IRGC. The approach could impose substantial economic costs on Tehran, but it also creates the possibility of further retaliation.

The central concern for regional governments and international shipping operators is whether the latest confrontation will remain limited to targeted military and maritime actions or develop into a wider conflict.

With American naval forces and Iranian military units continuing to operate in close proximity, the risk of another rapid escalation remains high. Any additional attacks involving commercial tankers, warships or strategic waterways could make diplomatic efforts substantially more difficult.

The latest confrontation therefore carries consequences far beyond the three tankers involved. It places the security of regional shipping, Iran’s oil exports and the broader U.S.-Iran relationship under renewed pressure at a time when both sides appear unwilling to back down.