U.S. forces destroyed five Iranian oil tankers Tuesday after Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps twice attempted to strike an American warship with ballistic missiles, escalating Washington’s military and economic pressure on Tehran.
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U.S. Central Command said the Navy vessel avoided both attacks over the previous two days and no American personnel were injured.
American forces subsequently struck the Kivik, Charminar, Horizon 1 and Riesco in the Gulf of Oman, along with the Derya near Kharg Island, Iran’s primary oil export hub. U.S. forces warned the crews to abandon the vessels before destroying them.
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 U.S. warship successfully evaded the attempted Iranian attacks and… pic.twitter.com/Gi8a2tloN1
— U.S. Central Command (@CENTCOM) September 8, 2026
Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the administration intends to impose direct economic consequences whenever Iran targets 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,” Rubio told reporters Tuesday.
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The strikes came three days after the U.S. destroyed three Iranian tankers following attempted IRGC attacks on an American aircraft carrier and guided-missile destroyer. The latest operation brings the number of Iranian tankers destroyed or disabled since Saturday to eight.
The Trump administration is simultaneously tightening sanctions on Tehran. The administration on Tuesday targeted more than two dozen entities in Iran’s aviation sector as part of its broader effort to sever the government’s remaining financial connections to foreign markets.
Iran responded to the tanker strikes by launching ballistic missiles toward U.S. targets in Jordan. Jordan’s military said its air defenses intercepted 18 missiles, while two others landed in unpopulated areas. No casualties were reported.
Tehran also threatened oil tankers operating from Kuwaiti and Bahraini ports, further raising tensions across the Persian Gulf.
The renewed fighting is putting additional pressure on global energy markets. Brent crude approached $100 a barrel as concerns mounted that continued U.S.-Iran hostilities could further disrupt oil shipments through the Strait of Hormuz.
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