Screenshot of a video released by US Central Command (CENTCOM) that includes a press release describing Operation “Epic Fury”, an attack by the United States and Israel on Iran, obtained from social media on February 28, 2026 This image shows a flight deck crew member signaling an F‑35 jet on an aircraft carrier.
Centcom via X via Reuters
The US military said it attacked two Iranian-flagged oil tankers in the Gulf of Oman on Friday, violating the US naval blockade blocking the ships from entering Iranian ports.
An American fighter jet “disabled both tankers by firing precision munitions at them,” US Central Command said in a statement, which included declassified videos of both attacks.
The attack was the latest in a series of military actions this week that have further weakened the US’s broken ceasefire with Iran, although President Donald Trump is insisting that the temporary cease-fire will remain in effect.
The US and Iran fired shots at each other in the Strait of Hormuz on Thursday, although both sides say the other fired first.
Trump told ABC News that the attacks were “just a loving message.” In a subsequent Truth Social post, he reiterated that Iran would face more attacks if it did not agree to a nuclear deal.
The strait, which normally supports 20% of the world’s oil trade, has become a major military and economic battleground since the war began on February 28.
Iran effectively shut it down after the US and Israel launched their first attacks, and CENTCOM has retaliated with a blockade of Iranian ports. The ongoing disruption in tanker traffic has disrupted global energy supplies, causing oil prices to rise and other impacts.
The attacks in the strait on Thursday came as Iran was reportedly reviewing a US proposal that would end the war and lead to further nuclear talks.
Despite the renewal of hostilities, Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Friday morning he expected Iran to respond to the resolution later in the day.
“We’ll see what the response is. Hopefully it’s something that can put us into a serious process of dialogue,” he told reporters in Rome after his visit with Pope Leo XIV.