US Says It Destroyed Five Iranian Oil Tankers, Releases Strike Videos
WASHINGTON, UNITED STATES — WEB DESK: The United States military says it has destroyed five Iranian crude oil tankers, releasing videos of the strikes as fighting between Washington and Tehran intensifies around strategically important Gulf shipping routes.
US Central Command said the attacks were carried out on September 8 after Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps allegedly attempted to target a US Navy warship with ballistic missiles twice over the previous two days.
According to CENTCOM, the American warship successfully evaded the attempted Iranian attacks and no US personnel were injured.
The strikes represent the latest round of direct military retaliation between the United States and Iran and have further increased concerns about oil supplies and commercial shipping through the Strait of Hormuz.
CENTCOM Releases Videos of Tanker Strikes
CENTCOM published video footage that it said showed US forces striking the Iranian crude carriers.
The five vessels identified by the US military were the Kivik, Charminar, Horizon 1, Riesco and Derya.
Four — Kivik, Charminar, Horizon 1 and Riesco — were struck in the Gulf of Oman, according to the US military.
The fifth tanker, Derya, was targeted near Kharg Island, a strategically critical hub for Iranian crude exports.
CENTCOM said crews aboard all five vessels were instructed to abandon ship before the strikes.
The US description of the operation and released imagery confirm Washington’s account of its military action, but details concerning the full extent of damage and any environmental consequences remain subject to further assessment.
US Says Strikes Were Response to IRGC Missile Attacks
CENTCOM described the operation as retaliation for Iranian attempts to attack American naval forces.
The US military said the IRGC had targeted a Navy warship with ballistic missiles twice over two days, but that the vessel avoided the attacks.
American officials have reported a wider series of attempted Iranian strikes against US naval assets in recent days.
According to US officials cited by the Wall Street Journal, Iranian ballistic missiles have been launched toward an American aircraft carrier, Navy destroyers and at least one Marine vessel since Friday. The reported attacks failed to hit their targets, though officials described some as close calls.
The tanker strikes therefore form part of an expanding confrontation involving both military and energy targets.
Rubio Warns Iran Over Attacks on US Warships
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio also issued a warning to Tehran following the strikes.
Rubio said Iran risked losing more of its oil tankers if it continued attempting to attack American warships, according to the original Express report.
The warning signals that Washington is linking attacks on Iranian oil-export infrastructure directly to what it describes as threats against US naval forces.
That strategy carries major economic implications for Tehran because petroleum exports remain a crucial source of Iranian revenue.
The Trump administration has simultaneously expanded sanctions against Iran, including new measures targeting parts of its aviation sector, as Washington combines military and economic pressure.
Five Strikes Follow Destruction of Three Other Tankers
Tuesday’s operation was not the first recent US attack on Iranian oil shipping.
American forces had destroyed three Iranian oil tankers three days earlier, after the US said the Revolutionary Guards attempted to attack an American aircraft carrier and destroyer.
The latest five vessels therefore bring the number of Iranian tankers the US says it has destroyed in the two recent operations to eight.
The Financial Times similarly reported that Tuesday’s operation represented the eighth Iranian tanker attacked by the United States within four days.
The rapid escalation suggests Iranian oil exports have become a central target in Washington’s military and economic strategy.
Why Kharg Island Matters
The reported strike near Kharg Island is particularly significant.
Located in the Persian Gulf, Kharg is Iran’s principal crude-export hub and plays a central role in the country’s petroleum infrastructure.
US action against a tanker operating near the island therefore raises concerns that the confrontation could increasingly affect infrastructure and shipping directly connected with Iranian energy exports.
Four of the five tankers were struck farther east in the Gulf of Oman, close to maritime routes linking the Strait of Hormuz with the Arabian Sea.
Any prolonged military campaign against tankers in these waters could have implications extending beyond Iran because the region is central to global petroleum transportation.
Iran Retaliates Against US Targets in Jordan
The escalation did not end with the tanker attacks.
Iran subsequently launched ballistic missiles at a US military base near Al Azraq in Jordan, according to Iranian state media and subsequent international reporting.
Jordanian and US officials reported no casualties.
Reuters reported that most of the incoming missiles were intercepted, while Iran claimed its attack caused significant damage. Those competing claims could not immediately be independently reconciled.
The Iranian action highlights the risk of a cycle in which attacks on naval and energy assets trigger increasingly broad retaliation across the region.
Iran Also Targets Ships Near Strait of Hormuz
Iranian forces also attacked ships around the Strait of Hormuz following the US strikes, according to Reuters.
The Revolutionary Guards said they targeted 10 vessels, including two American ships, as part of their response.
The renewed fighting is having a measurable effect on commercial traffic.
Preliminary data from shipping analytics company Kpler showed that only six commodity vessels transited the Strait of Hormuz on Tuesday, compared with nine the previous day and a 10-day average of 12.
Shipping data can subsequently be revised, particularly because vessels operating in high-risk areas sometimes switch off their tracking transponders.
Oil Prices Approach $100
The escalation has pushed global oil markets closer to the psychologically important $100-a-barrel level.
Brent crude futures rose 1.4% to $99.33 per barrel in early Wednesday trading, while US West Texas Intermediate climbed 1.4% to $94.34.
Brent has risen roughly a quarter since early August as expectations for a lasting settlement to the six-month conflict have faded.
Recent events have added several simultaneous risks to the market: US attacks on Iranian oil tankers, Iranian strikes against US targets, Houthi attacks on Saudi energy infrastructure and continuing disruption around the Strait of Hormuz.
Analysts therefore caution against attributing the entire rise in oil prices solely to Tuesday’s destruction of the five Iranian tankers.
Strait of Hormuz at Centre of US-Iran Conflict
The Strait of Hormuz remains one of the most important elements of the confrontation.
Before the current war, roughly one-fifth of the world’s oil supply passed through the waterway, making security there critical to international energy markets.
The United States has been escorting a limited number of vessels through waters off Oman, while Iran has sought to maintain leverage over maritime traffic.
The combination of military attacks on tankers and reduced commercial transit has intensified fears of a prolonged disruption to Middle Eastern energy exports.
Conflict Enters More Dangerous Phase
The destruction of five Iranian oil tankers represents a significant escalation because it directly targets assets linked to Tehran’s principal export industry.
At the same time, Iran’s subsequent missile attacks on US forces and operations against vessels around Hormuz demonstrate that Tehran retains the ability and willingness to retaliate.
The immediate focus is now on whether Washington launches additional attacks on Iranian oil shipping, whether Tehran continues targeting US naval and regional military assets, and whether commercial traffic through Hormuz deteriorates further.
For global markets, those developments could determine whether Brent crude breaks decisively above $100 per barrel after approaching that threshold on Wednesday.
