US Central Command said on Saturday morning that U.S. forces struck three Iranian crude oil tankers after Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps launched ballistic missiles at an American aircraft carrier and a destroyer. In a statement, CENTCOM said the operation left two of the tankers permanently inoperable and completely destroyed a third. The command added that neither of the American warships was hit and that no service members were injured, while also saying that the apparent targeting of an aircraft carrier was a notable provocation. Missile Launches Prompt U.S. Strike ResponseCENTCOM said the IRGC’s ballistic missiles were directed at the aircraft carrier and the destroyer. It then described a follow-on action in which U.S. forces engaged the three Iranian tankers. CENTCOM said two vessels were rendered permanently inoperable and the third was destroyed, presenting the tanker strikes as part of its response to the missile launches. It also emphasised that the U.S. ships involved in the missile attack suffered no damage and that there were no injuries among U.S. personnel, while noting the significance of a carrier being targeted. Tankers Part of an IRGC “Shadow Network”CENTCOM said the three Iranian crude oil tankers form part of a multibillion-dollar “shadow network” that funds the IRGC and its regional proxies. In the same statement, it said Iran had no means by which to defend the tankers that were targeted. The command’s account linked the shipping assets to the flow of money that supports the IRGC and activities carried out through its regional allies, and it said the vessels were therefore vulnerable to U.S. action. Economic Cost and Further DeterrenceCENTCOM framed the strikes as an effort to impose an economic cost in response to attacks on U.S. ships. Adm. Brad Cooper, the CENTCOM commander, said the message to the IRGC was clear: if it fired on two American ships, the United States would raise the economic price by taking out three Iranian vessels. Cooper said the United States would not hesitate to defend American forces and that, if necessary, it would go further in destroying what CENTCOM described as Iran’s limited and exposed oil fleet. Join the discussion? 6 September 2026
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