Iran has claimed that its forces have targeted US naval vessels in the Strait of Hormuz following an attack on an Iranian-flagged oil tanker in the Gulf of Oman, in what appears to mark a sharp escalation in maritime tensions in the region.

According to Iran's state-run Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting (IRIB) on Thursday (local time), a military official stated that after the US military attack on the Iranian tanker, "enemy units" operating in the Strait of Hormuz came under Iranian missile fire and were forced to retreat after sustaining damage.