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West: US strikes Iranian tankers in retaliation for an Iranian attack on US warships. ·
Elsewhere: Iran strikes US-linked vessels in retaliation for US aggression and attacks on its tankers.
The framing diverges on which party initiated the hostilities, with each side portraying its actions as a justified retaliation to the other's aggression.
The US military conducted strikes on three Iranian oil tankers, disabling two and destroying one, after US Central Command stated its warships were targeted by Iranian ballistic missiles. Iran's IRGC claimed it conducted retaliatory strikes on six US-linked vessels, escalating direct military conflict in the key energy chokepoint.