The U.S. military attacked three Iranian oil tankers in the Persian Gulf in retaliation after two U.S. warships were previously attacked by Iranian forces.
On Saturday, 5 Sep 2026 GMT+7, the U.S. military disclosed that they struck three Iranian crude oil tankers following missile attacks by Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) on two U.S. Navy warships.
“U.S. aircraft carriers and guided-missile destroyers successfully evaded multiple unprovoked Iranian attacks,” stated a release from U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM).
CENTCOM further stated that after Iran's unsuccessful attacks, the U.S. military inflicted permanent damage on the IRGC's crude oil tanker M/T Downy off Kharg Island and the M/T Stark 1 near the city of Jask.
“American forces also completely destroyed the empty crude oil tanker M/T Kylo (also known as ‘Noxen’) in the Gulf of Oman by striking multiple critical points to render it inoperable, after ordering the crew to abandon ship.”
CENTCOM's statement added that the three vessels “are part of a secret multi-billion-dollar network that funds the IRGC and proxy forces in the region.”
“Let this be a clear message to the IRGC: if you attack our two ships, we will impose economic punishment far greater than before—that is, destroying your three ships,” said Admiral Brad Cooper, CENTCOM commander.
The U.S. and Iran resumed retaliatory attacks earlier this week after a pause of over a month, with nearly daily strikes on each other's territories or military sites.
Tasnim News Agency reported that the anchored oil tankers were hit by four explosive devices launched by U.S. forces; no injuries or deaths occurred, and the crew were in the process of evacuating.
A verified audio file obtained by CNN revealed that U.S. military aircraft issued warnings to the tanker via emergency channels. In one recording, an American pilot said, “Oil tanker STARK 1, this is a U.S. military aircraft. I am preparing to strike the rear of your ship. You have 10 minutes to evacuate your crew from the stern. Over.”
In subsequent communication, the ship was warned, “This is your final warning... deploy life rafts and abandon ship immediately.”
During this, according to CNN's audio, a voice claiming to be from the ship pleaded for the aircraft to cease fire, adding, “We are completely destroyed.”
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Source:cnn