US destroys five Iranian tankers in Gulf as Tehran claims capture of naval drone

Tanker strikes in regional waters

US Central Command disabled five Iranian-linked oil tankers on Tuesday following ballistic missile attacks directed at a US Navy warship over the prior two days. The targeted American vessel avoided all incoming missile fire without sustaining damage or casualties. Military commanders confirmed that four tankers, the M/T Kaviz, M/T Charminar, M/T Horizon 1, and M/T Riesco, were struck in the Gulf of Oman, while the M/T Derya was disabled near Kharg Island, the center of Iranian oil infrastructure. Iranian state broadcaster IRIB separately reported an attack at the port of Jask. US forces instructed all civilian crews to evacuate before disabling the vessels. Central Command stated the ships belonged to a clandestine multimillion-dollar network financing the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and regional proxy groups, noting Tehran lacks the capability to protect them. The strike followed the destruction of three Iranian crude tankers on Saturday after attempted attacks on an American aircraft carrier and guided-missile destroyer.

Unmanned systems and aerial engagements

Iranian authorities reported that naval forces of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps captured an advanced American unmanned underwater vehicle at the entrance of the Strait of Hormuz during an early morning operation on Tuesday. Military statements described the craft as an Anduril Dive-LD autonomous submarine delivered to the US military in 2025. The autonomous submersible measures 5.8 meters in length, weighs approximately three tons, and possesses the capability to operate for ten days at depths up to 6,000 meters. Iranian officials asserted their coastal detection systems prevented the submersible from penetrating regional waters. Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps spokesperson Sardar Mohamadi commented on the seizure in state media.

The Persian Gulf belongs to our technological youth. Go back to the Bay of Pigs.

Iranian air defense units also announced the downing of an MQ-1 drone over the southern coastal city of Bandar Abbas in Hormozgan province on Tuesday.

Retaliatory threats and regional strikes

In response to the tanker losses, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps declared oil tankers registered to Kuwait and Bahrain legitimate targets, ordering crews to immediately evacuate ports in both countries due to alleged complicity with Washington. Iranian forces launched retaliatory attacks against American military positions in Jordan and two US destroyers, though Jordanian authorities confirmed their air defense systems shot down 18 of 20 incoming projectiles. In Washington, US Vice President J.D. Vance continued to resist characterizing the hostilities as a war.

Naval blockade and stalled diplomacy

The maritime confrontation coincides with ongoing US enforcement operations in the Arabian Sea and the entrance to the Persian Gulf. Washington established a blockade following Iranian maritime restrictions that emerged after the surprise offensive launched by the United States and Israel on February 28, 2026. US Central Command confirmed that enforcement operations have intercepted nearly 100 vessels, redirecting 94 commercial ships, immobilizing three, and boarding two to ensure compliance. Diplomatic initiatives mediated by Pakistan to negotiate a ceasefire remain stalled without a settlement.