Tehran: The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) announced on Thursday that its naval forces successfully struck an American oil tanker in the northern Persian Gulf, declaring that vessels from the U.S., Israel, and their European allies are now barred from the strategic waterway.

According to reports from Al Jazeera, the IRGC stated that the tanker was set ablaze during the operation. The military wing warned that any prohibited vessels detected in the region "will certainly be hit."

The reported attack on the tanker follows a series of maritime confrontations this week, primarily the sinking of the Iranian frigate IRIS Dena by a U.S. submarine in the Indian Ocean on Wednesday.