The United States military destroyed and disabled three Iranian crude oil tankers on Saturday, September 5, 2026, following failed missile attacks by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps on American warships in the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman, according to U.S. Central Command.
U.S. Central Command Strikes Tankers Near Kharg Island and Jask
The United States military carried out a series of operations on Saturday, September 5, 2026, disabling and destroying three Iranian crude oil carriers following an escalation in the Strait of Hormuz. U.S. Central Command stated that the action came in retaliation for Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps missile attacks targeting two U.S. Navy warships patrolling regional waters.
The operations struck specific targets across vital Iranian maritime transit zones. American forces permanently disabled the M/T Downy off the coast of Iran’s Kharg Island and the M/T Stark 1 near Jask. A third vessel, the unladen crude oil carrier M/T Kylo in the Gulf of Oman, was completely destroyed after its crew was ordered to evacuate.
U.S. Central Command stated that following Iran’s failed attacks, CENTCOM permanently disabled the IRGC crude oil carriers M/T Downy off the coast of Kharg Island and M/T Stark 1 near Jask, and added that American forces also completely destroyed the unladen crude oil carrier M/T Kylo in the Gulf of Oman, striking the vessel in multiple critical locations to render it inoperable after the crew was directed to abandon ship.
Two of the struck ships were in the Gulf of Oman, and the third was anchored off Kharg Island, which serves as Iran’s key export hub through which 90% of its crude exports flowed before the war. Earlier Saturday, Iran reported four missiles struck one of its oil tankers anchored six miles from the island, according to state media Tasnim.
Warnings Issued Over Radio Prior to Gulf of Oman Strike
Video footage obtained from the region captured the final moments before the destruction of the unladen carrier in the Gulf of Oman. A U.S. military aircraft crew broadcasted direct warnings to the crew aboard the tanker before unleashing the missile barrage.
A U.S. military crew member stated that they were preparing to fire and warned that the crew had three minutes to clear.
As recorded in audio from a nearby vessel obtained by Iran International, crew members could be heard speaking in Persian and Urdu, asking whether the ship’s captain was at his post before realizing he was still asleep.
This was your final warning… Get into your lifeboats and abandon the ship immediately. U.S. military crew
U.S. Central Command reported that no American personnel were injured during the engagement.
Strait of Hormuz Tensions and Multibillion-Dollar Shadow Network
U.S. military leaders emphasized that the targeted vessels were integral to Iran’s financial architecture. According to Central Command, the destroyed tankers belonged to a multibillion-dollar shadow network that generates revenue for the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and its regional proxies.
U.S. Central Command stated that the three Iranian crude oil tankers are part of a multibillion-dollar shadow network that funds the IRGC and its regional proxies.
Top administration and military officials issued direct warnings regarding future maritime clashes. CENTCOM commander Adm. Brad Cooper stated that any further Iranian fire directed at U.S. vessels would trigger an immediate and disproportionate economic response.
Adm. Brad Cooper, CENTCOM Commander, stated that the message to the IRGC should be clear, warning that if they shoot at two of our ships, an even higher economic cost will be imposed by taking out three of theirs.
Secretary of War Pete Hegseth reinforced that position on social media, writing that if Iran shoots at U.S. ships, U.S. forces will destroy and sink their oil tankers, adding that all Iran has to do is not shoot at the U.S. Navy.
Global Oil Markets React to Escalating Middle East Disruptions
The military confrontation sent immediate ripples through international energy markets. Crude prices extended a sharp rally as traders confronted growing risks to maritime trade through the Strait of Hormuz, a waterway through which roughly one-fifth of global oil consumption passed before the conflict.
Brent crude futures rose 87 cents, or 0.92 per cent, reaching $95.52 a barrel, while U.S. West Texas Intermediate gained 80 cents, or 0.89 per cent, to hit $91.02. The upward movement followed a surge exceeding $4 across both benchmarks earlier in the week, marking the most significant daily gains recorded since late July.
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