US military destroys 5 Iranian oil tankers

On September 9, US forces targeted and destroyed five Iranian oil tankers following a series of missile attacks on American Navy vessels by Iran. The strikes occurred as a direct response to Iran's repeated assaults on US military ships, highlighting the escalating tensions in the region. The US Central Command (Centcom) reported that the tankers were directed to abandon ship before they were struck, rendering them inoperable.

This action came after the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) attempted to hit a US Navy warship twice in the past two days, although the warship managed to evade the attacks and continued its patrol in the region.

The incidents of aggression mark the second time Washington has targeted Iranian tankers in less than a week. In response to these acts, Iran vowed to retaliate by targeting oil carriers near US allies in the Gulf, specifically Kuwait and Bahrain. Tehran warned that these vessels would be targeted if they remained in their ports, regardless of whether they were anchored or docked.

Meanwhile, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio reiterated that Washington would continue to target Iranian tankers in retaliation for any Iranian attacks on US naval ships. He emphasized that Iran continues to attempt to hit US naval vessels, and each instance of such aggression would result in the loss of Iranian tankers.

Iran, in turn, warned that it would target tankers off US allies Kuwait and Bahrain in response to the US strikes. An Iranian Revolutionary Guards' statement posted on the IRNA state news agency demanded that all oil tankers in the Kuwaiti and Bahraini ports—whether anchored or docked—leave their vessels to avoid being targeted. Despite these threats, US forces maintained that their actions were in response to Iran's most recent failed attacks.

Additionally, Centcom reported that one of its underwater drones malfunctioned after Iran claimed its forces had captured an American unmanned submarine in the Strait of Hormuz. Centcom spokesperson Captain Tim Hawkins clarified that the drone, an older model, did not collect sensitive data or carry classified sonar or radar equipment.