US Denies Striking Iranian Oil Facility Amid Escalating Tensions
First exchange of fire in weeks follows reports of tanker attacks and new economic sanctions loom.
Sarah Connor
The U.S. Defense Department denied striking Iran's main petroleum export facility, marking the first exchange of fire between American and Iranian forces in weeks.
Shipping through the Strait of Hormuz has largely come to a halt since the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) took control of the waterway.
An unknown projectile reportedly struck a tanker ship on Saturday north of Khasab, Oman, in the Strait of Hormuz, according to the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Organization.
Iran state TV, citing the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, reported a supertanker caught fire and halted after hitting two naval mines in the southern Strait of Hormuz.
The IRGC stated the attack would 'result in punishment of the aggressor.'
Kharg Island being blown to smithereens!!!
Separately, former President Donald Trump posted an AI-generated video on his Truth Social account, depicting a purported attack on Kharg Island.
Trump declared, 'Kharg Island being blown to smithereens!!!'
Kharg Island, located 16 miles from the coast of Iran in the northern end of the Gulf, measures less than eight square miles with a population of around 8,000.
A former commander of the US Central Command, Joseph Votel, stated that 800 to 1,000 troops would be needed on Kharg Island, requiring logistical backup that would need protection.
The U.S. military last week completed clearing sea mines from the Strait of Hormuz's international shipping routes.
Oil prices surged to well over $100 a barrel since the war began, with oil exports making up nearly 40 per cent of Iran’s government budget.
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian emphasized that Tehran still seeks a negotiated diplomatic solution with the United States despite the military escalation.
Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei urged, 'know your real enemy, understand its plans and confront it.'
We're starting with the banks, and we're telling the banks it's not okay to have Iranian money and to aid the regime. You're going to see a lot more of these every week.
The Treasury Department is likely to unveil new secondary sanctions aimed at increasing economic pressure on Iran.
US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent will increase efforts to isolate Iran economically while hosting G20 counterparts.
Bessent stated, 'We're starting with the banks, and we're telling the banks it's not okay to have Iranian money and to aid the regime.' He added, 'You're going to see a lot more of these every week.'
The European Union pledged to support US and G7 efforts to maintain economic pressure on Iran and promote regional stability.
Russia's Vladimir Putin is expected to hold bilateral talks with Pezeshkian and China's Xi Jinping.