An Iranian tanker was struck by four projectiles in a US missile attack near Kharg Island in the Gulf on Saturday, Iran’s Mehr news agency reported, as explosions were also heard in the area, according to the Fars news agency.

The origin of the explosions was not immediately known, but the reported tanker strike came amid a renewed escalation in the US military campaign against Iran.

The latest developments followed a warning from US President Donald Trump that Washington could soon strike Iran’s Pickaxe Mountain, a heavily fortified site near the damaged Natanz uranium enrichment facility.

Pickaxe Mountain is believed to house two deeply buried tunnel complexes, making it one of Iran’s heavily protected underground sites.

Trump, speaking to reporters on Friday, also played down the scale of the conflict for the United States, describing the Iran war as “small potatoes” and saying he regarded it as a military conflict rather than a war.

“A lot of people don’t call it a war. I call it a military conflict because it’s small potatoes for us,” Trump said, referring to previous US military actions and adding that the conflict was not a major undertaking for Washington.

His comments came a day after Vice President JD Vance said he would not describe the conflict as a war.

The Trump administration is now pursuing a two-pronged strategy of maintaining economic pressure on Tehran while keeping open the possibility of a major escalation in military action.

Trump has repeatedly signalled progress in negotiations with Iran or backed away from threatened military action at the last moment, particularly when concerns over the wider economic and market impact have intensified.

The latest strategy reflects an effort by Washington to pressure Iran without triggering an even larger conflict or making major concessions over the Strait of Hormuz.

Aaron David Miller of the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace said the administration appeared determined to avoid both extremes.

“The White House doesn’t want a massive war, and they don’t want to be seen as offering massive concessions,” Miller said. “The tack they are taking avoids both of those things.”

The reported strike near Kharg Island could nevertheless raise tensions further. Kharg Island is a crucial Iranian oil-export hub, making any military activity in its vicinity particularly significant for global energy markets.

The escalation also comes after the US changed its official Defense Casualty Analysis System in July, reclassifying personnel killed or wounded in “war” as casualties from “Overseas Operations.”

With Washington continuing to threaten attacks on heavily fortified Iranian sites and Tehran refusing to back down, the conflict appears increasingly caught between pressure for negotiations and the risk of a wider military confrontation.