US strikes 3 Iranian tankers after Navy attack attempt as raw footage captures fiery assault

WASHINGTON, DC: Three Iranian crude oil tankers were struck by US Central Command forces on Saturday, September 5, after Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps launched ballistic missiles toward two American Navy vessels operating in regional waters, according to CENTCOM.

The US military said an aircraft carrier and a guided-missile destroyer avoided the attacks without American personnel being injured, before American forces moved against the vessels linked to Iran’s oil network.

Iranian oil tankers struck

The strikes hit three separate crude oil carriers in waters around Iran and the Gulf of Oman.

CENTCOM said American forces permanently disabled the M/T Downy off Kharg Island and the M/T Stark 1 near Jask. A third vessel, the unladen M/T Kylo, also known as the “Noxen,” was attacked in the Gulf of Oman.

According to the military, the Kylo was struck at several critical points after its crew had been directed to abandon the ship. The objective was to leave the vessel unable to operate.

The action followed what CENTCOM described as an Iranian attack directed at two US Navy warships.

The American vessels successfully evaded multiple incoming attacks, and no US service members were reported hurt.

CENTCOM described the three tankers as part of a multibillion-dollar “shadow network” that it says supports the IRGC and affiliated regional proxies.

The vessels’ targeting therefore carries an economic dimension alongside the immediate military response.

The operation also highlights the vulnerability of Iranian commercial and oil-linked vessels operating in waters where US forces maintain a military presence.

The video below that shows destruction of Iranian vessels by US forces was released by CENTCOM.

Pentagon sends a clear message to Iran

The strikes represent a direct US response to the attempted attack, with CENTCOM commander Adm Brad Cooper saying Washington would impose a greater cost when American forces come under threat.

“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,” he added.

Cooper’s warning is unequivocal: the United States intends to respond to threats against its forces and is prepared to target what it describes as Iran’s exposed oil fleet.