Washington, DC, September 9 — US Central Command (CENTCOM) said its forces destroyed five Iranian crude oil carriers in the Middle East on Tuesday in retaliatory strikes after the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) targeted a US Navy warship with ballistic missiles twice over a 48-hour period.
According to a statement from CENTCOM, the American warship successfully evaded both attempted missile strikes and suffered no personnel injuries or operational damage. The vessel remained on active patrol in regional waters.
“U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) forces destroyed five Iranian crude oil carriers Sept. 8 after the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) targeted a U.S. Navy warship with ballistic missiles twice over the past two days. The U.S. warship successfully evaded the attempted Iranian attacks and continued to patrol regional waters. No American personnel were harmed,” the statement said.
In response to the attempted attacks, US forces conducted coordinated strikes against five vessels belonging to Iran’s state-linked maritime fleet. Four crude oil carriers — the M/T Kaviz, M/T Charminar, M/T Horizon 1 and M/T Riesco — were destroyed in the Gulf of Oman, while a fifth vessel, the M/T Derya, was struck near Kharg Island.
CENTCOM said US forces issued direct instructions ordering the crews of all five vessels to evacuate before the strikes.
“In response to Iran’s most recent failed attacks, CENTCOM destroyed the IRGC crude oil carriers M/T Kaviz, M/T Charminar, M/T Horizon 1 and M/T Riesco in the Gulf of Oman, as well as M/T Derya near Kharg Island. American forces directed the crews to abandon ship before the vessels were struck and rendered inoperable,” CENTCOM said.
The US military command emphasized that the targeted fleet serves as a major financial mechanism for Tehran’s security apparatus. CENTCOM described the vessels as part of “a multibillion-dollar shadow network that funds the IRGC and its regional proxies.”
“Iran has no means by which to defend these vessels,” CENTCOM said.
Tuesday’s action marked the second major US operation against Iranian maritime infrastructure within three days.
“On Sept. 5, CENTCOM forces destroyed three Iranian crude oil carriers after the IRGC tried to attack a U.S. aircraft carrier and guided-missile destroyer. All IRGC attempts against U.S. Navy warships have failed,” CENTCOM said.
Meanwhile, Iran’s IRGC launched ballistic missile strikes against a US military airbase in Jordan and two American Navy destroyers, according to state media reports.
In an official statement carried by Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting (IRIB), the IRGC said the military operation, codenamed “Ya Haidar Karrar,” was launched to avenge recent US attacks on Iranian oil tankers.
The IRGC said its forces targeted the US-operated Al-Azraq airbase in Jordan with liquid- and solid-fuel ballistic missiles. According to the statement, the strikes hit aircraft hangars and shelters housing F-35, F-16 and F-15 fighter jets.
“In response to the aggressive actions and evil harassment of Iranian oil tankers and ships by the terrorist army of the Great Satan, the powerful aerospace force of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps … attacked the DDG-119 and DDG-53 combat destroyers carrying cruise and Aegis missiles with powerful ballistic missiles,” the IRGC statement said.
“As a result of this attack, significant damage was caused to these vessels,” it added.
The IRGC said its military operations would continue until all US attacks against Iranian shipping cease, while warning Washington against further actions in regional waters.
“The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and other armed forces of the Islamic Republic of Iran continue to declare their firm determination to respond to the desperate actions of the US regime and warn the enemy against any miscalculation,” the statement said.
Regional air defenses were activated across neighboring countries as the missiles crossed regional airspace.
According to Al Jazeera, Jordanian air defense units intercepted at least eight Iranian missiles over Amman and other cities. Al Jazeera also reported that multiple types of missiles were spotted near the Jordanian-Syrian border, while Syrian state television reported that Syria intercepted incoming Iranian missiles over the border city of Irbid.
Earlier in the day, Iran’s IRGC Navy claimed that its forces had captured a US unmanned submersible at the entrance to the Strait of Hormuz during what it described as a complex intelligence and operational operation.
According to IRIB, the IRGC Navy said the submersible was equipped with the latest underwater technology and had been delivered to the US fleet in 2025. (ANI)
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