Washington, September 5, 2026 (Yes Punjab News)
The United States has struck three Iranian crude oil tankers after Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) launched ballistic missiles towards two US Navy warships, the US Central Command (CENTCOM) said on Saturday, marking a fresh escalation in the confrontation between Washington and Tehran.
CENTCOM said a US aircraft carrier and a guided-missile destroyer successfully evaded multiple Iranian attacks and that no American personnel were injured. The military described the missile attacks as unprovoked but did not identify the US vessels involved.
“US Central Command (CENTCOM) forces struck three Iranian crude oil carriers, Sept. 5, after the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) launched ballistic missiles toward two U.S. Navy warships patrolling regional waters,” it said.
According to CENTCOM, US forces struck three vessels it identified as IRGC crude oil carriers.
The M/T Downy was “permanently disabled” off the coast of Kharg Island, a major hub for Iranian oil exports. The M/T Stark 1 was also permanently disabled near Jask.
The third vessel, M/T Kylo, also known as the “Noxen”, was completely destroyed in the Gulf of Oman. CENTCOM said the vessel was not carrying oil when it was struck.
The US military said Kylo was hit at multiple critical locations to render it inoperable after its crew had been ordered to abandon the vessel.
CENTCOM described the three tankers as part of what it called a multibillion-dollar “shadow network” used to finance the IRGC and its regional proxies.
Admiral Brad Cooper, Commander of US Central Command, directly linked the strikes to the alleged attacks on American warships.
“Let the message to the IRGC be clear: If you shoot at two of our ships, we will impose an even higher economic cost — taking out three of yours,” Cooper said.
“We will not hesitate to defend American forces, and if necessary, destroy Iran’s limited and exposed oil fleet,” he added.
The latest action extends the military confrontation into Iran’s oil-shipping infrastructure, with CENTCOM portraying the strikes as an effort to impose an economic cost on the IRGC following attacks on US forces.
The Gulf of Oman and surrounding waters are strategically important shipping routes connecting oil-producing states in the Gulf with international markets.
The strikes come amid heightened tensions between the United States and Iran. US President Donald Trump on Friday described the hostilities as an intermittent “military conflict” rather than a full-scale war.
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