US strikes five Iranian oil tankers, as Iran fires missiles at US bases in Jordan

WASHINGTON, DC: The United States on Tuesday, September 8, struck five Iranian oil tankers after Iran twice targeted a US Navy warship with ballistic missiles, according to US Central Command (CENTCOM).

Four tankers were struck in the Gulf of Oman and another near Kharg Island, Iran’s main oil export terminal. Iran then launched missiles toward US forces at the Al Azraq military base in Jordan, with Jordanian authorities saying their air defenses intercepted most of the incoming missiles.

US strikes Iranian tankers after attacks on Navy warship

CENTCOM said the five Iranian crude oil carriers were linked to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and were targeted after the IRGC attempted to strike a US Navy warship on two occasions over the previous two days.

“CENTCOM forces destroyed five Iranian crude oil carriers, Sept. 8, after the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) targeted a U.S. Navy warship with ballistic missiles twice over the past two days,” the command said. “The U.S. warship successfully evaded the attempted Iranian attacks and continued to patrol regional waters. No American personnel were harmed.”

CENTCOM said American forces ordered the crews to abandon the vessels before the tankers were struck and rendered inoperable. The strikes followed an earlier US response in which American forces sank one tanker and permanently disabled two others after Iranian attacks on a US aircraft carrier and destroyer.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the administration’s response was directly tied to Iran’s attacks on American naval forces. “Iran continues to try to hit U.S. naval ships. And, for every time they do that or try to do that, they're going to lose tankers. And I think you'll see that again today,” Rubio said ahead of the strikes.

Iran also warned that it would target oil tankers near Kuwait and Bahrain, where US forces are based.

“Following the actions of the American military in targeting several Iranian oil tankers, we warn all oil tanker crews in the areas around the ports of Kuwait and Bahrain, which are hosting these forces and are complicit in their actions, to immediately evacuate their vessels, whether they are at anchor or docked, as they will be targeted,” the IRGC Navy said.

Iran targets US forces in Jordan as Hormuz tensions rise

Iran responded to the US strikes by launching missiles toward the Al Azraq military base in Jordan, according to Iran’s IRGC and the semi-official Fars news agency. A US official said the attack was rendered ineffective and that integrated air and missile defense systems prevented the missiles from causing harm to American forces.

Jordanian military officials said their air defenses intercepted 18-20 ballistic missiles, while two additional missiles fell in unpopulated areas. All US personnel in Jordan were accounted for, the US official said. 

The latest exchanges have further intensified fighting around the Strait of Hormuz, the vital waterway through which about 20% of the world’s oil flowed before the war. The United States has been helping a limited number of ships transit the strait, while Iran has sought to direct commercial vessels along a route of its choosing.