US Destroys Five Iranian Oil Tankers Amid Escalating Conflict
The United States has escalated its conflict with Iran by destroying five Iranian oil tankers in the Gulf of Oman, CENTCOM announced on September 9. The move comes after Tehran's Revolutionary Guard twice targeted a US Navy warship with ballistic missiles.
CENTCOM said that no US personnel were injured during the attack and the US warship evaded both attacks, continuing to patrol regional waters.
The tankers targeted by the US included four Iranian-flagged crude carriers: M/T Kaviz, M/T Charminar, M/T Horizon 1, and M/T Riesco. Additionally, a fifth tanker, M/T Derya, was struck near Iran's Kharg Island.
The US military claimed that the tankers were part of an Iranian 'multibillion-dollar shadow network' that funds the IRGC and its regional proxies.