Tensions Escalate in Persian Gulf; IRGC and US Military Exchange Strikes

The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) announced in an official statement that it had targeted a US aircraft carrier and a destroyer using ballistic missiles. The IRGC claimed that the two military vessels fled the engagement area after sustaining damage. Additionally, the IRGC reported early Sunday that it had targeted an unmanned US boat near the Strait of Hormuz, asserting that it would respond firmly to any US activity in the region. In response, the US Central Command (CENTCOM) announced that it had destroyed three oil tankers belonging to the IRGC. According to the CENTCOM statement, the tankers 'Downey', 'Stark 1', and 'Kilo' were neutralized near Kharg Island, Jask, and the Gulf of Oman, respectively. Admiral Brad Cooper, commander of CENTCOM, stated that targeting the tankers serves as a message to the IRGC that attacks on US vessels will be met with significant economic costs. US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth wrote on X: 'It is simple: if Iran fires on US ships, we will destroy and sink their oil tankers.' These clashes occur as the 'Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding', signed in June 2026 to de-escalate tensions, has effectively collapsed.