Pete Hegseth warns Iran, says US will sink oil tankers if Navy is attacked
US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth has warned that the US will sink Iranian oil tankers if Iranian forces attack American Navy ships. This follows reports of ballistic missile strikes by Iran on US vessels and subsequent US retaliatory strikes on Iranian oil infrastructure.
Why it matters
The escalation between the US and Iran in the Persian Gulf poses a significant risk to global oil supplies and regional stability.
US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth has warned Iran that the US will destroy and sink Iranian oil tankers if Tehran attacks US Navy ships, saying, “All they have to do is not shoot at” the US Navy, as tensions between Washington and Tehran intensified across the region.Meanwhile, Iran's IRGC said it attacked a US aircraft carrier and destroyer with ballistic missiles, but there was no immediate confirmation from the US.Hegseth issued the warning in a post on X while quoting US Central Command commander Admiral Brad Cooper, who said Iran would face a higher economic cost if it attacked American vessels. Pete Hegseth on X“It’s simple: if Iran shoots at US ships, we will destroy (and sink) their oil tankers.
Get smarter about the news
Sign up free for a feed built around what you actually care about, Dive Deeper research on any story, and the full text of every article.
Create free accountAlready have an account? Sign in