The United States and Iran exchanged attacks at sea over the past 24 hours, with Washington striking three Iranian vessels and Tehran targeting oil tankers while launching ballistic missiles toward US warships near the Strait of Hormuz. US Central Command, or CENTCOM (U.S. military command), said one tanker was hit off Kharg Island, another near Jask and an unladen vessel in the Gulf of Oman after its crew was told to abandon ship. Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, or IRGC (Iranian military force), said it fired several ballistic missiles at a US aircraft carrier and destroyer, which CENTCOM said evaded the attacks without US casualties. The exchanges reflect a wider struggle for control of the strait, a vital oil chokepoint that Iran has used as leverage during the conflict. Washington says the targeted tankers belonged to a multibillion-dollar shadow fleet (sanctions-evasion shipping network) that helps finance the IRGC and its regional allies. Iran says the US naval blockade and attacks on its shipping violate international law, and has warned vessels against using what it calls unauthorised routes. The United States says the strait remains open and that 17 million barrels of crude recently moved through it in a day, but Kpler data cited in the report showed only six vessels crossed on Wednesday, 11 on Tuesday and five on Monday, against a 10-day average of 13. Brent crude closed Friday at $96.28 a barrel, while US diesel reached a record $5.85 a gallon. Analysts cited by Al Jazeera said neither side is likely to back down without a political settlement, raising the risk of further clashes, miscalculations and civilian casualties.