An Iranian oil tanker was hit by a US missile on Saturday near Kharg Island, one of Iran's most strategic oil export points, according to Iranian media reports.
The Iranian Student News Agency reported that a "small boat" was targeted, and no casualties were reported in the incident. Other Iranian media reports said that several explosions were heard in the area near the island.
However, in the first hours after the incident, there was no official confirmation from US or Iranian authorities of responsibility for the attack. Reuters reported that Iran's semi-official Fars news agency confirmed hearing explosions near Kharg, but had no clear indication of their origin. Meanwhile, Nournews published unconfirmed reports that US forces may have hit an Iranian tanker.
Kharg Island is of immense importance to the Iranian economy, as it is the country's main maritime oil export hub. For this reason, any attack in its area could have significant consequences for Iranian exports and international energy markets.
The incident comes at a time of further escalation in the conflict between Washington and Tehran. Tensions have risen sharply in recent days after the resumption of military clashes in the Persian Gulf and in the Strait of Hormuz area.
US President Donald Trump had previously stated that Khargu was the target of US operations, and on August 31 he released an artificial intelligence-generated video claiming that the island was being “destroyed.” Reuters reported at the time that there was no independent confirmation of such an attack on the scale claimed.
In this climate of tension, any new incident near Iran's oil infrastructure and sea routes is seen as a risk of further escalation of the conflict and destabilization of energy transport in the Persian Gulf.
