U.S. Central Command struck three Iranian oil tankers Saturday in direct retaliation after Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps launched a failed ballistic missile attack targeting two American Navy warships patrolling regional waters.
Dramatic video footage of the strikes was released alongside the announcement.
According to CENTCOM, a U.S. aircraft carrier and a guided-missile destroyer successfully evaded multiple unprovoked Iranian attacks, and no American personnel were harmed in the assault.
Following Iran’s failed strikes, U.S. forces permanently disabled two IRGC crude oil carriers, the M/T Downy off the coast of Kharg Island and the M/T Stark 1 near Jask. American forces also completely destroyed a third vessel, the unladen crude oil carrier M/T Kylo, also known as the “Noxen,” in the Gulf of Oman, striking the ship in multiple critical locations to render it inoperable after its crew was ordered to abandon ship.
CENTCOM identified the three targeted tankers as part of a sprawling, multibillion-dollar shadow network that funds the IRGC and its network of regional proxies, noting that Iran currently has no means of defending the vessels.
CENTCOM Commander Adm. Brad Cooper delivered a blunt warning to Tehran following the strikes.
“Let the message to the IRGC be clear: If you shoot at two of our ships, we will impose an even higher economic cost, taking out three of yours,” Cooper said. “We will not hesitate to defend American forces, and if necessary, destroy Iran’s limited and exposed oil fleet.”
Saturday’s exchange marks the latest escalation in a conflict with Iran that has now dragged on for more than six months, with American forces demonstrating a clear willingness to respond forcefully and disproportionately to any direct threats against U.S. military assets in the region.
This remains a developing story, and further details are expected as U.S. officials continue to assess the full scope of the strikes and Iran’s response.
