The US forces struck three Iranian crude oil tankers on Saturday after the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) launched ballistic missiles at two US Navy warships that were patrolling regional waters, the US Central Command said.
In a post on X, the US Central Command said that the aircraft carrier and guided-missile destroyer successfully avoided "multiple unprovoked Iranian attacks".
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After Iran's attempted attacks, US forces destroyed two IRGC crude oil tankets called M/T Downy and M/T Stark 1 off the coast of Kharg Island and near Jask. Another tanker that was not loaded was also disabled in the Gulf of Oman.
No US personnel were harmed during the attacks, Central Command said.
— U.S. Central Command (@CENTCOM) September 5, 2026
The three tankers were a part of a multibillion-dollar shadow network that funds the IRGC and its proxies.
Admiral Brad Cooper, the Central Command commander, said that the US army will not hesitate to defend itself and if necessary, it can destroy Iran's "exposed" oil fleet.
"Let the message to the IRGC be clear: If you shoot at two of our ships, we will impose an even higher economic cost -taking out three of yours," said Cooper.
"We will not hesitate to defend American forces, and if necessary, destroy Iran's limited and exposed oil fleet", he added.
Earlier today, Iran accused the US of attacking an Iranian tanker near Kharg Island in the Persian Gulf, the semi-official Iranian news agency Tasnim reported.
Tasnim quoted local sources as saying there were no casualties and the tanker's crew was being evacuated.
US President Donald Trump said on August 31 in a one-line social media post accompanied by an AI-generated video that Kharg Island was being "blown to smithereens".
Iran is the third-largest producer in the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) and heavily relies on Kharg Island, which served as the transit point for 90 per cent of its crude oil exports before the outbreak of the US-Iran war.
(With inputs from agencies)
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