Centcom said a US aircraft carrier and a guided-missile destroyer evaded "multiple unprovoked Iranian attacks" while patrolling in the region and that no American personnel were hurt. One tanker was hit near Kharg Island, another near Jask, and an unladen tanker was destroyed in the Gulf of Oman, according to the statement.
"Let the message to the IRGC be clear: If you shoot at two of our ships, we will impose an even higher economic cost - taking out three of yours," said Admiral Brad Cooper, Centcom's commander. "We will not hesitate to defend American forces, and if necessary, destroy Iran's limited and exposed oil fleet."
The US statement said the tankers were part of a shadow network helping to fund Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and its armed proxies. The attacks come a day after President Donald Trump sought to minimise the conflict as "small potatoes", according to multiple reports.
Iranian state media earlier reported that one of its oil tankers had been struck by US missiles off the coast of Kharg Island.
The strikes follow a renewed phase of hostilities nearly a week after the US and Israel launched wide-ranging strikes on Iran on 28 February. Iran responded by attacking Israel, US bases and allied Gulf states, and effectively closing the Strait of Hormuz to marine traffic. Negotiations have collapsed, and both sides continue to inflict military and economic pain.