US Strikes Three Iranian Crude Oil Carriers Amid Regional Tensions
The United States Central Command (CENTCOM) has reported that US forces struck three Iranian crude oil carriers on Saturday, September 5, 2026.
CENTCOM stated that the strikes were a response to Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) launching ballistic missiles towards two US Navy warships patrolling regional waters near the Strait of Hormuz.
The US aircraft carrier and guided-missile destroyer successfully evaded multiple Iranian attacks, with no American personnel harmed. CENTCOM noted that its forces permanently disabled the IRGC-linked crude oil carriers M/T Downy off the coast of Kharg Island and M/T Stark 1 near Jask, while completely destroying the unladen crude oil carrier M/T Kylo (also known as Noxen) in the Gulf of Oman.
CENTCOM described the three Iranian crude oil tankers as part of a multibillion-dollar shadow network that funds the IRGC and its regional proxies. The command noted that Iran has no means to defend these vessels.