US says it destroyed five Iranian tankers in response to IRGC attacks

The US said it struck five Iranian crude carriers after the IRGC twice fired ballistic missiles at a Navy warship. The exchange has deepened tensions, with Iran reportedly threatening retaliation near Kuwait and Bahrain.US destroys five Iranian oil tankers after missile attacks on navy warshipThe United States destroyed five Iranian crude oil carriers after Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) twice targeted a US Navy warship with ballistic missiles over the past two days, US Central Command (CENTCOM) said on Tuesday.According to CENTCOM, the American warship successfully evaded both attacks and continued operations in regional waters. No US personnel were injured.In what it described as a response to Iran's latest failed attacks, CENTCOM said US forces struck five vessels allegedly linked to the IRGC's oil-smuggling network. The targeted ships were identified as M/T Kaviz, M/T Charminar, M/T Horizon 1 and M/T Riesco in the Gulf of Oman, along with M/T Derya near Iran's Kharg Island.US forces ordered crews to abandon the vessels before carrying out the strikes, rendering the tankers inoperable, the military said. "The US warship successfully evaded the attempted Iranian attacks and continued to patrol regional waters. No American personnel were harmed," CENTCOM said in a statement.CENTCOM forces destroyed five Iranian crude oil carriers, Sept. 8, after the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) targeted a U.S. Navy warship with ballistic missiles twice over the past two days. The U.S. warship successfully evaded the attempted Iranian attacks and pic.twitter.com/Gi8a2tloN1— U.S. Central Command (@CENTCOM) September 8, 2026The US military accused Iran of using the tankers as part of a multibillion-dollar "shadow fleet" that helps finance the IRGC and its regional proxy groups. "Iran has used the tankers as part of a multibillion-dollar shadow network that funds the IRGC and its regional proxies," CENTCOM said, adding that Iran had no means to defend the vessels.The latest strikes come days after a similar US operation. CENTCOM said it destroyed three Iranian crude oil carriers on September 5 after the IRGC allegedly attempted to attack a US aircraft carrier and a guided-missile destroyer. The command said all recent Iranian attempts to strike US Navy warships had failed.Iranian state media, however, reported that two Iranian oil tankers were hit in the latest US attacks — one near Jask and another close to Kharg Island. Iranian reports said crews were evacuated safely and no casualties were reported.The strikes mark another escalation in tensions between Washington and Tehran, with Iran reportedly threatening retaliation against oil tankers operating near ports in Kuwait and Bahrain following the latest US action.- EndsPublished By: Nitish SinghPublished On: Sep 9, 2026 05:51 IST