The US-Iran confrontation has escalated dramatically after US forces struck five Iranian crude oil tankers in the Gulf of Oman and near Kharg Island. US Central Command says the strikes came after Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps targeted a US Navy warship with ballistic missiles twice in two days. The US says the warship evaded both attacks and suffered no casualties or operational damage. According to CENTCOM, four tankers were destroyed in the Gulf of Oman while a fifth was hit near Kharg Island. US officials say crews were ordered to evacuate before the strikes.

Iran claims its security forces have dismantled three suspected US-Israel-linked cells in Sistan and Baluchestan, while a separate escalation sees the United States targeting Iranian oil vessels near key Gulf shipping locations. According to Mehr News, Iranian forces reportedly arrested nine operatives accused of receiving military, bomb-making and assassination training. Iranian authorities also claim to have uncovered a secretly smuggled weapons cache during the operation. The identity of the alleged cells and detailed operational information have not been publicly disclosed, leaving key questions over the scope and nature of the reported intelligence operation. US forces are reported to have targeted Iranian oil ships near Kharg Island and Jask, putting Tehran's shadow oil network and regional energy infrastructure under increasing pressure. WATCH