President Donald Trump’s “tanker-for-tanker” retaliation policy escalated Saturday as U.S. forces struck three Iranian oil tankers after the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) launched ballistic missiles toward two U.S. Navy warships, CENTCOM declaring the three-for-two response was intended to impose an “even higher economic cost” on Tehran.
\n\nA U.S. aircraft carrier and guided-missile destroyer successfully evaded multiple Iranian attacks while patrolling regional waters, according to U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM). No American personnel were harmed.
\n\nAmerican forces retaliated by permanently disabling the IRGC-linked crude oil carriers M/T Downy off the coast of Kharg Island and M/T Stark 1 near Jask, while completely destroying the unladen M/T Kylo — also known as the Noxen — in the Gulf of Oman after directing its crew to abandon ship.
\n\nCENTCOM described the three vessels as part of a “multibillion-dollar shadow network” financing the IRGC and its regional proxies, thus the strikes directly targeted an oil network that helps provide revenue to Iran’s most powerful military force.
\n\nCENTCOM Commander Adm. Brad Cooper made clear the three-for-two response was deliberate.
\n\n“Let the message to the IRGC be clear: If you shoot at two of our ships, we will impose an even higher economic cost — taking…
Original source: https://www.breitbart.com/latin-america/
