Iran claims strike on US oil tanker after sinking of warship IRIS Dena: Report

Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) on Thursday claimed it had struck a US oil tanker in the northern Persian Gulf, hours after vowing retaliation for the sinking of its warship IRIS Dena in the Indian Ocean. According to Iran’s Mehr News Agency, the IRGC said the Iranian Navy launched a missile strike on the tanker early Thursday, setting the vessel ablaze.

In a statement carried by the agency, the Guards said the American ship “was hit by a missile in the north of the Persian Gulf” and “is currently on fire”.

There has been no confirmation from the US government or independent sources regarding the alleged attack.

The claim follows heightened tensions after the reported sinking of the Iranian frigate IRIS Dena, which Iran says was torpedoed by a US submarine on Wednesday near Sri Lanka.

Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi condemned the incident, accusing Washington of carrying out an attack far from Iranian waters.

“The U.S. has perpetrated an atrocity at sea, 2,000 miles away from Iran's shores. Frigate Dena, a guest of India’s Navy carrying almost 130 sailors, was struck in international waters without warning,” Araghchi said. He added that Washington would “bitterly regret the precedent it has set.”

According to Iranian officials, the attack resulted in 87 fatalities, while 32 sailors were rescued by the Sri Lankan navy. Several crew members are still reported missing at sea.

The Iranian warship had recently participated in a multinational naval exercise and international fleet review hosted by India in Visakhapatnam, before heading into the Indian Ocean.

Alongside the claim of the tanker strike, the IRGC also said it now had “full control” of the Strait of Hormuz, a strategically vital waterway that connects the Persian Gulf to the Indian Ocean and serves as a key route for global oil and gas shipments.

Nearly one-fifth of the world’s crude oil trade passes through the Strait of Hormuz, making it one of the most critical maritime chokepoints for global energy markets.

The Guards warned that access to the strait would now be restricted, claiming the route would remain open only to Chinese and Russian vessels. Ships flying the flags of the United States, Israel, European nations, or countries supporting them would be prohibited from transiting the waterway.

The statements could not be independently verified, and there has been no immediate response from Washington or international maritime authorities.

If confirmed, the developments would mark a significant escalation in tensions across the region and could pose serious risks to global energy supply chains and shipping routes in the Gulf.

(With Reuters inputs)