U.S. Central Command said Tuesday it destroyed five Iranian oil tankers in the second round of retaliatory strikes in recent days.
The U.S. launched the latest strikes after Iran twice targeted an American Navy ship with ballistic missiles, Central Command said in a statement.
The U.S. ship, which was not identified, evaded the attack and continued its mission to enforce a blockade of Iranian oil shipments aimed at forcing an end to a 6-month war that has eroded support for President Donald Trump and Republicans ahead of the midterms.
U.S. forces directed the crews of the Iranian vessels to abandon their ships before striking them in the Gulf of Oman and near Iran’s Kharg Island, CENTCOM said.
CENTCOM said the tankers belonged to a multi-billion-dollar network used to fund the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and its regional allies.
The strikes came three days after the U.S. destroyed three other Iranian tankers following attempted attacks on an aircraft carrier and guided-missile destroyer.