Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Navy struck a large cargo ship in waters near Iraq on Tuesday in what it described as a retaliatory operation following a United States military attack on an Iranian commercial vessel, according to Iranian state broadcaster Press TV.
The IRGC Navy's public relations department announced that its forces targeted the MSC Sariska, a Panamanian-flagged cargo vessel, with a cruise missile.
The strike, Press TV reported, was carried out in direct response to a US military attack on the Iranian bulk carrier Lian Star in the Sea of Oman days earlier. Video circulating online showed a large explosion and fire aboard a vessel in the water at night, with emergency crews subsequently reported to have boarded the ship in Iraqi territorial waters.
IRGC Navy STRIKES GIANT CARGO SHIP after US attack on vessel in Sea of Oman
— RT (@RT_com) June 2, 2026
Emergency crews aboard MSC vessel in Iraqi territorial waters after FIRE BREAKS OUT pic.twitter.com/aOWEBpLdl7
"In response to the aggressive attack by the terrorist and child-killing US army on the Iranian vessel Lian Star in the Sea of Oman, the IRGC Navy conducted a reciprocal operation and struck the MSC Sariska with a cruise missile," the IRGC Navy said in a statement carried by Sepah News, as reported by Press TV.
According to Press TV, the initial US strike occurred on Friday, when a US aircraft fired an AGM-114 Hellfire missile at the engine room of the Lian Star, disabling the vessel as it operated in international waters. Iran characterized the attack as an act of state-sponsored maritime terrorism.
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The IRGC warned that any further US military action in the region would be met with a "decisive response," Press TV reported.
The exchange represents a significant escalation in an already volatile maritime environment. The United States and Israel launched military operations against Iran in February, and that a Pakistan-brokered ceasefire has been in place since early April, though Tehran alleges Washington has continued enforcing a naval blockade of Iranian ports.
The IRGC Navy has claimed full control over the Strait of Hormuz, the narrow waterway through which approximately a fifth of the world's oil supply passes, and has repeatedly warned foreign military forces against interference in the region.
The US government had not issued an immediate public response to the IRGC's claims at the time of reporting.
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