US military says three Iranian tankers struck in Gulf
By Tim Lister, CNN
(CNN) — The United States military said Saturday its forces had struck three Iranian crude oil carriers, after the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) launched ballistic missiles toward two US Navy warships.
There was no immediate response from Iran, but state media earlier said that the US had attacked a tanker near the vital oil hub, Kharg Island.
“A U.S. aircraft carrier and guided-missile destroyer successfully evaded multiple unprovoked Iranian attacks,” the statement from US Central Command said.
Following Iran’s failed attacks, “CENTCOM permanently disabled the IRGC crude oil carriers M/T Downy off the coast of Kharg Island and M/T Stark 1 near Jask.”
“American forces also completely destroyed the unladen crude oil carrier M/T Kylo (also known as the “Noxen”) in the Gulf of Oman, striking the vessel in multiple critical locations to render it inoperable after the crew was directed to abandon ship,” CENTCOM added.
It said the three vessels “are part of a multibillion-dollar shadow network that funds the IRGC and its regional proxies.”
“Let the message to the IRGC be clear: If you shoot at two of our ships, we will impose an even higher economic cost —taking out three of yours,” said Adm. Brad Cooper, the CENTCOM commander.
Earlier Saturday, Iranian news agencies said that a tanker came under missile attack by US forces near Kharg Island.
The two sides traded strikes earlier this week for the first time in over a month.
The tanker, which was in the anchorage area, was hit by four projectiles fired by US forces, Tasnim reported. There were no casualties and the tanker’s crew members were in the process of evacuating the vessel, the agency added.
Audio confirmed by CNN showed that a US military aircraft issued warnings to the ship via an emergency channel. In one, an American-accented voice says: “Motor Tanker STARK 1, this is the United States military aircraft. I am preparing to fire at your stern. You have 10 minutes to clear the crew from the stern of your ship. Over.”
In a later exchange, the ship is warned: “This was your final warning… get into your lifeboats and abandon the ship immediately.”
In between, according to audio heard by CNN, someone purportedly on the same ship asks the aircraft to stop firing, adding: “We are already destroyed.”
The Stark One was last shown by ship tracking data near Kharg island a week ago. MarineTraffic, a shipping data resource, shows the vessel was built in 2000 and has a carrying capacity of 159,681 tonnes.
The conflict between Iran and the United States is in a volatile limbo, with both battling for control over the vital Strait of Hormuz, which is critical for global oil supplies.
Kharg Island, a coral outcrop off Iran’s coast, has typically handled roughly 90% of the country’s crude oil exports. The island has been attacked throughout the conflict and US President Donald Trump has previously threatened to capture it.
On Thursday, US Vice President JD Vance denied the conflict should even be described as a “war,” adding that despite the recent flare-up there was “no active shooting.”
He also refused to lay out a timetable for ending the conflict, suggesting instead it was up to Iran to conclude the conflict that began with joint US-Israeli airstrikes six months ago.
The-CNN-Wire
™ & © 2026 Cable News Network, Inc., a Warner Bros. Discovery Company. All rights reserved.
