US destroys five Iranian oil tankers following missile attacks on naval warships
American forces destroyed five Iranian crude carriers in the Gulf of Oman and near Kharg Island after Iranian missiles targeted a US warship, triggering retaliatory missile strikes on an American base in Jordan.
American strikes on Iranian crude carriers
United States Central Command destroyed five Iranian crude oil tankers on Tuesday following two separate ballistic missile attacks directed at an American warship over the preceding 48 hours. US military officials confirmed that the targeted warship successfully evaded the missiles, resulting in no injuries to American service members. The strikes hit four vessels named Kaviz, Charminar, Horizon 1, and Riesco in the Gulf of Oman, along with a fifth tanker, Derya, operating near the oil terminal at Kharg Island. American forces instructed the civilian crews on board to abandon ship prior to launching the strikes. Military officials described the vessels as integral components of a multibillion-dollar shadow shipping network that funds Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and regional proxy forces.
- US forces strike three Iranian oil tankers after attempted missile attacks on American warships.
- US Central Command destroys five Iranian crude carriers in the Gulf of Oman and off Kharg Island.
- Jordanian air defences intercept 18 of 20 Iranian ballistic missiles targeting a US military base.
Retaliatory missile barrage against US base in Jordan
Following the destruction of the five tankers, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps launched 20 ballistic missiles targeting an American military installation situated near the eastern Jordanian town of Al Azraq. Air defence systems deployed by Jordan intercepted 18 of the incoming projectiles, while the remaining two missiles landed in unpopulated desert areas without causing casualties. Iranian state television broadcast footage of the launches, asserting that the strike inflicted heavy damage on American facilities. The strike represents the latest direct Iranian attack on US positions in Jordan, following a July attack that killed two American military personnel.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio defended the American actions during an official diplomatic visit to Colombia.
Iran continues to try to hit US naval ships and for every time they do that or try to do that, they're going to lose tankers.
Regional escalation and threats across Gulf waters
The confrontation coincided with attacks by Iranian-aligned Houthi forces in Yemen, who fired on four cities across southern Saudi Arabia, injuring 73 people and setting several oil installations on fire. In the aftermath of the American tanker strikes, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Navy issued warnings to commercial shipping, instructing tanker crews near Bahraini and Kuwaiti ports linked to the United States to abandon their vessels immediately. Iranian military statements also reported targeting two additional US destroyers in regional waters. In the United Arab Emirates, maritime security officials reported damage to a liquefied natural gas carrier at the port of Khor Fakkan, though responsibility for the incident remains unconfirmed.
- Benchmark Brent crude
- 99.41 $/bbl
- US-traded crude
- 94.55 $/bbl
Disputes over naval hardware and shipping disruption
The strikes followed a separate dispute regarding an uncrewed American underwater vehicle in the Strait of Hormuz. Iranian state media claimed naval units seized the drone during a specialized intelligence operation at dawn. United States Central Command spokesperson Captain Tim Hawkins rejected the Iranian characterization, stating that the older vessel had malfunctioned more than a day earlier and carried no classified sonar, radar, or intelligence collection systems. The exchanges follow a month of relative calm in August during the six-month-old war. Access through the Strait of Hormuz, which normally carries one fifth of global oil and natural gas shipments, remains heavily restricted by Iranian naval forces, while the United States Navy enforces a maritime blockade of Iranian ports. Early trading in Asia saw benchmark Brent crude rise 1.5% to $99.41 per barrel, while US-traded crude climbed 1.6% to $94.55 per barrel.
