The United States military has struck three Iranian crude oil tankers after the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) launched ballistic missiles toward two US Navy warships, with the US Central Command (CENTCOM) releasing footage showing one of the vessels being hit and later sinking in the Gulf of Oman.

CENTCOM identified the vessel as the M/T Kylo, also known as the Noxen. The command said the unladen tanker was struck at multiple critical points after its crew had been directed to abandon ship. The vessel was subsequently destroyed and sank in the Gulf of Oman. 

US says three Iranian tankers were targeted

According to CENTCOM, the strikes on Saturday targeted three Iranian crude oil carriers. The M/T Downy was struck off Kharg Island, while the M/T Stark 1 was hit near Jask. Both were described by the US military as permanently disabled.

The third vessel, the M/T Kylo, was targeted in the Gulf of Oman and was completely destroyed, according to the US military. CENTCOM said the three tankers were linked to what it described as a multibillion-dollar shadow network that finances the IRGC and its regional proxy groups. 

Strikes followed attacks on US warships

CENTCOM said the US operation came after the IRGC launched ballistic missiles toward two American Navy vessels operating in regional waters.

The US command said an aircraft carrier and a guided-missile destroyer successfully evaded multiple Iranian attacks and that no American personnel were injured. Independent reporting also cited the US military's account that neither warship was hit. 

The sequence marks a significant escalation because Washington has expanded its response beyond Iranian military targets to oil infrastructure and vessels that it says provide financial support to the IRGC.

CENTCOM issues warning to Tehran

CENTCOM commander Adm. Brad Cooper issued a direct warning following the tanker strikes.

Cooper said the US would impose a greater economic cost on Iran if American naval forces were attacked, adding that Washington would not hesitate to defend its forces and target Iran's exposed oil fleet. 

US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth also warned that Iranian oil tankers could be destroyed and sunk if Iran continues attacking US Navy vessels, according to reports carrying his remarks. 

Iran condemns US tanker strikes

Iran has rejected the US justification for the attacks. Its Foreign Ministry described the strikes as illegal actions and accused Washington of violating the UN Charter, while characterising the operation as part of what Tehran called a broader naval blockade and economic campaign against Iran. 

Iran's IRGC has also claimed that it targeted vessels it considered linked to the United States and warned other ships operating around the Gulf and Strait of Hormuz against what it described as unauthorised movements. Those claims have not been independently verified. 

Gulf shipping faces fresh risks

The latest confrontation comes amid continuing tensions around the Strait of Hormuz, a crucial route for global energy shipments. The exchange of attacks involving oil tankers and naval vessels raises fresh concerns for commercial shipping and energy markets in the wider Gulf region.

The sinking of the M/T Kylo also signals a potentially broader shift in the US-Iran confrontation, with commercial oil carriers increasingly becoming part of the military and economic pressure campaign.

For now, Washington says the strikes were intended to deter attacks on US forces and disrupt financing for the IRGC. Tehran, meanwhile, has condemned the operation and threatened further retaliation, leaving the security situation around the Gulf and Strait of Hormuz highly volatile.