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U.S. military forces struck three Iranian oil tankers on Saturday after Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps fired ballistic missiles at two American Navy vessels. The U.S. Central Command confirmed that both ships — an aircraft carrier and a guided missile destroyer — successfully evaded the attacks, and no American personnel suffered injuries.
Three Iranian Vessels Targeted in U.S. Retaliation
CENTCOM said U.S. forces permanently disabled two crude oil carriers in the operation. The M/T Downy was struck off the coast of Kharg Island, while the M/T Stark 1 was hit near Jask. A third vessel, the M/T Kylo, was destroyed near the Gulf of Oman.
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The M/T Kylo carried no oil at the time of the strike. CENTCOM said American forces ordered the crew to abandon the ship before striking it in multiple locations.
Admiral Brad Cooper, the commander of U.S. Central Command, issued a direct warning following the operation. “If you shoot at two of our ships, we will impose an even higher economic cost — taking out three of yours,” Cooper said. “We will not hesitate to defend American forces, and if necessary, destroy Iran’s limited and exposed oil fleet.”
Kharg Island’s Strategic Importance
Kharg Island sits roughly 15 miles off Iran’s coast in the Persian Gulf. Despite its small size, the island serves as the central hub of Iran’s oil export operations and also hosts military infrastructure, including air defense systems and underground mines.
Petras Katinas, a research fellow at the Royal United Services Institute, previously described Kharg to NBC News as the “backbone” of Iran’s oil trade infrastructure and the country’s primary gateway for oil exports. Its role makes it critical to Iran’s broader financial stability.
A Recurring Flashpoint in the Conflict
The island has emerged as a recurring point of tension throughout the ongoing conflict. U.S. forces struck military targets on Kharg Island in March but deliberately avoided hitting its oil infrastructure at that time.
President Donald Trump warned then that the United States could target Iran’s energy facilities if Iran continued to interfere with shipping through the Strait of Hormuz. Saturday’s strikes against Iranian tankers appear to mark an escalation of that economic pressure.
Iranian media reported earlier on Saturday that a tanker near Kharg Island had been hit by U.S. missiles and that its crew was being evacuated. Iran’s semiofficial Tasnim news agency reported no casualties from the incident.
