US military sinks Iranian tanker M/T Kylo and disables two others in Persian Gulf retaliatory strikes

Sinking of the M/T Kylo in the Gulf of Oman

United States Central Command announced overnight between Saturday and Sunday that the Iranian commercial tanker M/T Kylo has sunk in the Gulf of Oman. The vessel went down after taking direct fire from American military forces in the strategic waterway. Official military channels on the platform X published video footage capturing the final moments of the vessel. The recording shows the struck tanker listing heavily to one side before succumbing to structural damage and descending beneath the surface of the water. Prior to launching the strike on the M/T Kylo, American military units issued explicit instructions for the immediate evacuation of the crew aboard the empty vessel. The operation was authorized as a direct response to hostile Iranian actions taken against American naval assets in nearby waters.

Disabling of shadow fleet vessels across Persian Gulf waters

Alongside the sinking of the M/T Kylo, American military forces targeted and permanently disabled two additional Iranian oil tankers during operations conducted on Saturday. The strikes hit the tanker M/T Downy near Kharg Island and the tanker M/T Stark 1 in waters near the coastal town of Jask along the Strait of Hormuz. According to military reports, all three targeted vessels operated as active components of Iran's maritime shadow fleet. The action against the three tankers followed an offensive by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, which launched ballistic missiles at United States naval units. The Iranian missile strikes targeted an American aircraft carrier and a guided-missile destroyer, but both US warships avoided sustaining any hits during the engagement.

Statements and warnings from CENTCOM leadership

Following the strikes against the three Iranian vessels, United States military leadership released statements defining the purpose and proportionality of the retaliatory mission. Admiral Brad Cooper, the commander of United States Central Command, issued a formal warning regarding future aggressive actions conducted by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.

Let the message to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps be clear: if you fire on two of our ships, you will suffer even greater economic costs - we will destroy three of yours.

Admiral Cooper emphasized that American forces remain fully prepared to carry out defensive operations and impose severe economic consequences on Iranian maritime assets if attacks against United States vessels persist in the region.

We will not hesitate to defend American forces and, if necessary, destroy Iran's limited and exposed oil fleet.

Context of the broader military conflict

Saturday's exchange of fire is part of an ongoing cycle of mutual American and Iranian strikes that escalated across recent days. Direct military exchanges resumed over the previous weekend following a one-month pause in hostilities between the two armed forces. The broader armed conflict between the United States and Iran began in late February. The most intensive phase of fighting between the two sides concluded in April, giving way to a period characterized by sporadic strikes across maritime and regional positions. United States forces continue surveillance and defensive patrols across the Persian Gulf, the Strait of Hormuz, and adjacent waterways to safeguard naval vessels against ongoing ballistic missile threats.