US strikes Iranian tankers after IRGC missile attack
US Central Command said its forces struck three Iranian oil tankers on Saturday, including one off the coast of Kharg Island, near Iran's key oil export hub. The strikes were carried out after Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) launched ballistic missiles at two US Navy ships, according to Central Command.
The targeted vessels were identified as M/T Downy off the coast of Kharg Island and M/T Stark 1 near Jask. A third vessel, M/T Kylo (also called "Noxen"), was rendered inoperable in the Gulf of Oman after the crew were directed to abandon ship, Central Command added. US forces said the three tankers are part of a multibillion-dollar shadow network that funds the IRGC and its regional proxies.
"Let the message to the IRGC be clear: If you shoot at two of our ships, we will impose an even higher economic cost — taking out three of yours," said Admiral Brad Cooper, head of US Central Command. "We will not hesitate to defend American forces, and if necessary, destroy Iran's limited and exposed oil fleet."
No American personnel were harmed, Central Command said. There was no immediate official announcement by Iranian authorities.
Iranian response and regional tensions
Iran responded by threatening intensified strikes against US military vessels in the region. "If the evil, insecurity and harassment of Iranian ships and the naval blockade of Iran continue, the strikes of the Islamic Republic of Iran's armed forces against US military vessels in the region will be more severe than before and there is a possibility of their expansion," Iran's military command said in a post on state media.
The exchange of attacks followed an escalation in the past week that threatens to deepen a conflict that has dragged on since the US and Israel launched strikes on Iran in February, disrupting global energy supplies and drawing opposition from a majority of Americans before congressional elections in November.
Tasnim, the semi-official Iranian news agency, reported earlier that four US missiles hit a tanker in the area of Kharg's anchorage. Tasnim quoted local sources as saying there were no casualties and the tanker's crew was being evacuated. The state-run Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting (IRIB) outlet also reported a US strike on an Iranian tanker near Kharg Island earlier on Saturday, with no casualties initially reported and crew members safely evacuated.
Kharg Island and oil exports
Kharg Island handles about 90 per cent of Iran's crude exports, with the island's loading capacity pegged at 7 million barrels per day and storage capacity at 30 million barrels. Before the war, most shipments from Kharg Island were for Asian customers, with a significant majority, about 80 per cent, destined for the region.
Iran is the third-largest producer in the Organisation of the Petroleum Exporting Countries and exported 90 per cent of its crude via Kharg Island before the war, but flows have been disrupted since a US blockade of Iranian oil exports began in mid-April. A US attack on Kharg would further pressure Iran's oil industry and its wider economy, which is already reeling from the US naval blockade.
The US imposed its blockade on Iranian ports after Iran effectively shut the Strait of Hormuz, an important waterway that carried one-fifth of the world's oil supply before the war. The renewed fighting has also put pressure on global oil markets, with oil prices rising this week due to Iran's closure of the Strait of Hormuz, a critical route for global energy shipments. President Donald Trump has argued that the increase will be temporary and that oil prices will fall sharply if Iran's government collapses.
Official statements and broader context
US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said at a press conference that the objective "is to sever every economic lifeline that sustains this tyrannical regime until Tehran stands alone."
President Trump said on August 31 in a one-line social media post accompanied by an AI-generated video that Kharg Island was being "blown to smithereens." Iranian authorities have vowed a strong response if Kharg is attacked. Trump said on June 11 that he wanted to take over Kharg Island, but later said a threatened US military operation there was off the table for now, days before Tehran and Washington signed an interim agreement aimed at ending the war on June 17. The strikes came days after Trump ordered renewed attacks against Iran following a period of halted strikes in July.
Noureldeen Al Hammoury of Equiti Group said: "Any sustained damage to Kharg would effectively halt Iranian crude exports, currently estimated at roughly 1.5 million-1.8 million bpd, representing a meaningful share of global supply."