US Strikes Five Iranian Oil Tankers in Retaliation for Missile Attack
U.S. forces struck five Iranian crude oil tankers on September 8 in retaliation for an IRGC missile attack that targeted two American warships.
The attacks began on September 5, with CENTCOM confirming the strikes took out three vessels: M/T Downy off Kharg Island, M/T Stark 1 near Jask on the eastern coast of the Strait of Hormuz, and M/T Kylo in the Gulf of Oman. The crew of the M/T Kylo was warned to abandon ship before the strike.
Two additional tankers were struck in the following days, bringing the total to five. CENTCOM commander Admiral Brad Cooper stated that if Iran shoots at U.S. ships, it will impose an even higher economic cost by taking out its own oil fleet. The targeted tankers are part of a multibillion-dollar shadow shipping network used to fund the IRGC and its regional allies.