U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) said American forces destroyed five Iranian oil tankers after Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) launched ballistic missile attacks on a U.S. Navy warship in regional waters, marking the latest escalation in the growing military confrontation between Washington and Tehran.
In a statement issued on Tuesday, September 8, CENTCOM said the operation was carried out in response to two separate missile attacks by the IRGC over the past two days. According to the U.S. military, the targeted vessels were transporting Iranian crude oil and were linked to the IRGC’s maritime operations in the region.
CENTCOM said an American warship intercepted and successfully defeated both ballistic missile attacks without sustaining damage or casualties. The command added that the vessel remained on patrol and continued its mission after the attacks.
The U.S. military said the strikes on the five Iranian tankers were intended to degrade the IRGC’s operational capabilities and respond to what it described as repeated attacks against U.S. naval assets in the Gulf. CENTCOM did not specify where the tankers were struck or provide additional operational details.
The exchange follows several days of escalating military action between the United States and Iran, including missile, drone and naval operations across the Gulf. Both countries have accused each other of attacking military assets and maritime targets in strategically important waterways.
Iran’s IRGC has previously claimed it launched ballistic missiles at a U.S. aircraft carrier and a destroyer, alleging the vessels were involved in operations against Iran. U.S. officials have rejected claims that American warships were damaged during the attacks.
The latest confrontation has heightened concerns about the security of commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz, through which roughly one-fifth of global oil supplies pass. Shipping companies and regional governments have increased security monitoring as tensions continue to rise.
The renewed U.S.-Iran confrontation comes amid a broader regional conflict involving missile exchanges, attacks on energy infrastructure and growing fears that continued military escalation could threaten stability across the Middle East and disrupt global energy markets.
