The United States has attacked five Iranian oil tankers in the Gulf of Oman and near Iran’s Kharg Island, escalating tensions between Washington and Tehran after the US military accused Iran of attempting to strike an American warship with ballistic missiles.
The US Central Command (CENTCOM) said that Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) had attempted to target a US warship twice over a two-day period, but that the vessel successfully avoided both attacks. “No American personnel were harmed,” CENTCOM said.
The US military said that it responded by striking five Iranian oil carriers that it identified as the M/T Kaviz, M/T Charminar, M/T Horizon 1 and M/T Riesco in the Gulf of Oman, and the M/T Derya near Kharg Island. According to CENTCOM, American forces instructed the crews of the vessels to abandon the ships before the attacks were carried out. “American forces directed the crews to abandon ship before the vessels were struck and rendered inoperable,” CENTCOM said.
The strikes represent a further escalation in the confrontation between the United States and Iran, with commercial shipping and energy infrastructure increasingly caught up in the conflict.
Iran’s state broadcaster IRIB confirmed that a tanker had been attacked near Kharg Island, which was responsible for handling approximately 90% of Iran’s oil exports before the war. It said that the crew had been evacuated. IRIB also reported that another tanker was struck near the southern port of Jask in the Gulf of Oman.
The IRGC later said that five tankers had been targeted.The latest strikes follow an earlier US attack on three Iranian oil tankers on September 5, one of which sank. Iran said it responded that same day by attacking three commercial vessels and three ships linked to the United States.
The repeated attacks have heightened concerns over the safety of commercial shipping and energy supplies in the Gulf region, particularly as the conflict increasingly affects vessels operating near major oil-exporting routes. Kharg Island is particularly significant to Iran’s energy industry because of its central role in the country’s oil exports.
Any prolonged disruption around the island could therefore have wider implications for Iran’s ability to transport crude oil to international markets. The confrontation has also raised the prospect of further attacks against US military installations and vessels across the region.
Iranian officials had previously warned that Tehran would retaliate if Washington attacked its oil tankers. The escalating exchanges have taken place alongside growing restrictions on maritime movement.
Iran’s top security official, Mohsen Rezaei, said that Tehran planned to establish a restricted zone outside the Strait of Hormuz. He said that vessels entering the proposed zone would be placed on an Iranian sanctions list.
Iran Retaliates With Missile Strikes
Iran responded to the US attacks by launching missiles at US forces stationed at Al Azraq base in Jordan, with the IRGC describing the assault as a “fierce” missile attack. The IRGC claimed that hangars used by US fighter jets at the base had been destroyed.
The Iranian force also claimed that it had carried out ballistic missile attacks against US Navy destroyers DDG-119 and DDG-53, saying the strikes caused “significant damage” to the vessels. In a separate statement, the IRGC said its naval forces had targeted two American vessels and eight tankers in the region, claiming the attacks caused “great damage.” It was not immediately clear whether the two American vessels mentioned in that statement were the same destroyers identified in its earlier announcement.
Jordan’s armed forces said that its air defences responded to the Iranian missile attack by engaging 20 ballistic missiles. Eighteen were intercepted and destroyed, while two landed in unpopulated areas, according to the military. The Jordanian authorities reported no casualties and said specialised teams had begun securing locations where missile debris and shrapnel had fallen.
Iran’s response followed an earlier warning from Ali Abdollahi, Chief of staff of Iran’s Armed Forces, that Tehran would attack US military installations across the region if Iranian tankers were targeted.
Iran’s Foreign Ministry condemned the latest American attacks on its commercial vessels, accusing Washington of violating the United Nations Charter and describing the strikes as a “war crime.” The ministry characterised the US actions as part of what it called continuing American military “aggression” and “economic war” against Iran. It also warned that the United States and its partners would bear full responsibility for the consequences of their actions.
The latest strikes raise questions about how far the confrontation could spread across the Gulf and surrounding countries, particularly as Iran threatens to expand restrictions on maritime traffic and the United States continues targeting Iranian assets.
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