U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) forces destroyed five Iranian crude oil carriers on September 8, 2026, in response to Iranian forces twice targeting an American Navy warship with ballistic missiles. The American warship successfully avoided the missile attacks, and no U.S. military personnel were harmed.
Details of the U.S. Strikes
Before striking the tankers, U.S. forces ordered the crews to leave the ships so no sailors would be hurt. The five vessels were left completely broken and unable to operate.
The U.S. military named the specific ships they destroyed:
- M/T Kaviz (struck in the Gulf of Oman)
- M/T Charminar (struck in the Gulf of Oman)
- M/T Horizon 1 (struck in the Gulf of Oman)
- M/T Riesco (struck in the Gulf of Oman)
- M/T Derya (struck near Iran's main oil hub, Kharg Island)
The U.S. military explained that Iran uses these tankers as a "shadow network" to make billions of dollars to pay for its military groups. The U.S. Navy has been blocking Iranian ports to try to end an ongoing 6-month war in the region.
Escallating Tension and Iran's Response
This is the second time in less than a week that the U.S. has destroyed Iranian oil vessels. Just three days earlier, on September 5, American forces destroyed three other Iranian tankers after Iran tried to attack a U.S. aircraft carrier and a destroyer.
Following the latest strikes on Tuesday, Iran fired missiles at U.S. military forces staying at the Al Azraq base in Jordan. Jordan's military reported that its defense systems shot down 18 out of the 20 incoming missiles, while the rest landed safely in empty desert areas. Additionally, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) warned other oil tankers near Kuwait and Bahrain to leave immediately, threatening that those ships could be next since those countries host American bases. [1, 2, 3]
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