US Military Strikes Five Iranian Oil Tankers in Strait of Hormuz
The US military has struck five Iranian crude oil tankers in a move to target Iran's oil-export capacity. The latest incident occurred on September 9, 2026, near the Strait of Hormuz, a key maritime gateway for Gulf oil exports.
The tankers identified by CentCom were the M/T Kaviz, M/T Charminar, M/T Horizon 1 and M/T Riesco in the Gulf of Oman, and the M/T Derya near Kharg Island. US officials described the strikes as retaliatory, but they also intensify economic pressure on Tehran by threatening vessels that support its oil revenue.
The Iran-linked tankers were destroyed early on Wednesday morning, causing crude oil rates to spike in early Asian trade. Brent crude reached $97.92, WTI Crude was at $94.33, up 1.40%, and Murban crude, a Gulf benchmark, was at $110.8, up $4.00 or 3.75%.
Iran has warned it could make enforcement of the US blockade increasingly dangerous and expensive by targeting not just commercial tankers but also US warships as well as vessels suspected of supporting the blockade.