U.S. forces permanently disabled two Iranian crude oil carriers and destroyed a third vessel Saturday after an aircraft carrier and destroyer evaded ballistic missile attacks launched by Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps in the Persian Gulf region, according to the U.S. military.
According to U.S. Central Command, an aircraft carrier and a guided-missile destroyer evaded multiple unprovoked Iranian attacks while operating in the area. No American service members were injured during the engagement. U.S. Central Command said in a statement that an aircraft carrier and guided missile destroyer evaded multiple attacks by Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, and that no American personnel were harmed.
The Tanker Strikes Near Kharg Island and Jask
In retaliation for the missile volleys, American forces targeted three vessels identified as part of a shadow shipping network that helps fund the Iranian Revolutionary Guard. CENTCOM reported that strikes permanently disabled the crude oil carrier M/T Downy off the coast of Kharg Island and the M/T Stark 1 near Jask. A third vessel, the M/T Kylo near the Gulf of Oman, was also struck and destroyed.
The Kylo was unladen at the time of the operation. The Kylo was not carrying oil at the time and its crew was directed to evacuate the vessel before American forces struck it in multiple locations, CENTCOM said. The U.S. statement said the tankers were part of a shadow network helping to fund Iran’s powerful Revolutionary Guard.
A U.S.
Central Command, U.S. Military
Earlier on Saturday, Iranian state media reported that a tanker near Kharg Island had been hit by missiles and that crew members were evacuating. Iranian media reported earlier Saturday that a tanker near Kharg had been hit by U.S. missiles and that its crew was being evacuated. The semiofficial Tasnim news agency noted that no casualties were reported, according to Iran’s semiofficial Tasnim news agency.
Strategic Importance of Kharg Island
Kharg Island, a tiny but strategic island 15 miles off the coast of Iran in the Persian Gulf, plays a central role in the country’s oil industry. The small island features underground mines and air defenses, including air defenses and mines buried underground, and it has emerged repeatedly as a flashpoint throughout the conflict. The site has repeatedly emerged as a flashpoint during the conflict.
While U.S. forces struck military targets on the island in March, they deliberately spared its oil infrastructure. President Donald Trump said at the time that the U.S. could target the energy facilities if Iran continued interfering with shipping through the Strait of Hormuz.
Petras Katinas, a research fellow at the Royal United Services Institute, previously told NBC News that Kharg is the “backbone” of Iran’s oil trade infrastructure and the primary gateway for the country’s oil reserves, underscoring why attacks near the island carry substantial economic weight.
Weighing Economic Costs and Strategic Warnings
Cooper added that the military will not hesitate to defend American forces, and if necessary, destroy Iran’s limited and exposed oil fleet, threatening the complete destruction of Iran’s exposed oil fleet if hostilities persist.
Diplomatic Condemnation from Tehran
Iran’s Foreign Ministry issued a swift and severe condemnation of the American strikes, strongly condemning the U.S. strikes and calling them illegal and aggressive
while accusing Washington of waging a naval blockade and economic war against Iran.
In a statement carried by Iranian state media IRIB, the ministry said the attacks violated the United Nations Charter and constituted a war crime and a threat to international peace and commercial shipping. Earlier, Iran accused the U.S. of attacking an Iranian tanker near Kharg Island in the Persian Gulf.
