Iran says it attacked US Navy ships after they targeted Iranian tanker

US military says it intercepted and responded to ‘unprovoked’ Iranian attack, stressing that it doesn’t seek escalation.The Iranian military has said it retaliated against United States Navy ships after US forces targeted an oil tanker in Iran’s territorial waters, a major escalation that puts further strain on the fragile truce between Washington and Tehran.Iran’s Khatam al-Anbiya Central Headquarters added on Thursday that the US also violated the ceasefire by carrying out air strikes on civilian areas, including Qeshm Island, “in cooperation with some regional countries”, without identifying them.Recommended Stories list of 3 itemslist 1 of 3Gulf states urge UN action to ensure Strait of Hormuz safetylist 2 of 3Senators press US military on Israel’s displacement campaign in Lebanonlist 3 of 3Trump sets July 4 deadline for EU tariff hike decisionend of list“The American aggressor, terrorist and bandit army, violating the ceasefire, targeted an Iranian oil tanker,” the statement said.The statement also claimed that the Iranian response caused “significant damage” to US ships.“The criminal and aggressor America and its supporting countries should know that the Islamic Republic of Iran, as powerfully as in the past, will give a crushing response to any aggression without the slightest hesitation,” the Iranian military said.The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) Navy said Iranian forces used “various types of ballistic and antiship cruise missiles and destructive drones with high-explosive warheads” in response to the US violations of the truce.But the Central Command (CENTCOM) of the US military said it “intercepted unprovoked Iranian attacks” and responded with “self-defence strikes”.“No US assets were struck,” it said.CENTCOM added that it “does not seek escalation but remains positioned and ready to protect American forces”.The clashes represent the first military Iranian response to the US blockade of the country’s ports. Over the past weeks, the US military has seized several Iranian vessels and ordered dozens more to turn around.