Figure caption, US Central Command released footage of the strikes on Iran-linked tankers ByGrace Eliza Goodwin Published 5 September 2026, 15:35 BST Updated 11 minutes ago The US military says it has hit three Iran-linked oil tankers after Iran launched ballistic missiles towards two American Navy warships in the region.
US Central Command (Centcom) said on Saturday it had "permanently disabled" a tanker near Kharg Island and another near Jask in the Gulf of Oman, and "completely destroyed" a third in the Gulf of Oman.
"It's simple: if Iran shoots at US ships, we will destroy (and sink) their oil tankers," Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth wrote on social media.
Iran's state media confirmed the attacks.
A spokesperson for Iran's military warned that strikes on US military vessels would be expanded if they continued attacking Iranian ships, the state media reported.
Iranian state media outlet IRIB reported that there were no casualties in the attack on the tanker near Kharg Island, and that footage indicated the vessel's cooling system put out the fire within an hour.
Kharg Island is a small rocky outcrop just 15 nautical miles (24km) off the coast of Iran.
Ninety percent of Iran's crude oil comes through a terminal on the island - transported through pipes from the mainland.
The crews aboard the two attacked tankers in the Gulf of Oman were taken to shore in lifeboats, IRIB reported.
One of those tankers was empty and the other was carrying a load of oil, it added.
Centcom said it "successfully evaded" multiple attacks from the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) targeting a US aircraft carrier and guided-missile destroyer.
No American troops were harmed, it said.
Admiral Brad Cooper, Centcom's commander, said in a statement on Saturday: "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." "We will not hesitate to defend American forces, and if necessary, destroy Iran's limited and exposed oil fleet." Centcom, which oversees US military operations in the Middle East, claimed that the three Iranian oil tankers were "part of a multi-billion-dollar shadow network that funds the IRGC and its regional proxies".
The strikes come nearly a week after renewed attacks between the US and Iran, which followed a period of relative calm between the warring sides.
The US resumed attacks last Sunday, when it said it had struck two rocket launchers to prevent them being used to lay naval mines in the Strait of Hormuz.
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Three experts give their views Published 1 day ago On Tuesday, President Donald Trump said the US had launched a further "very heavy attack", but claimed the renewed fighting would not last "too long".
The strikes prompted Iran to retaliate against US targets in the region, including in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Bahrain, Kuwait and Jordan.
On Thursday, US Vice-President JD Vance also addressed claims by Iran that American strikes killed at least four people, including two children, at a wedding in southern Iran.
He said he was "extremely sceptical" over reports of the alleged strike, but confirmed the US would investigate.
Humanitarian group the Iranian Red Crescent Society said shrapnel from a missile hit the ceremony at a home in Sirik on Tuesday, prompting Tehran to declare it a "war crime".
What we know about reported strike on Iran wedding celebrations Published 2 days ago A 60-day ceasefire between the US and Iran formally expired last month, with little sign of a further diplomatic settlement on the horizon.
Days after the ceasefire expired, Trump said the US would launch tougher economic measures against Iran, as well as any country that helps or does business with it.
The US and Israel first launched wide-ranging strikes on Iran on 28 February, with Iran responding by attacking Israel, US bases and allied states in the Gulf, and effectively closing the Strait of Hormuz to marine traffic.
The Strait of Hormuz previously served as one of the busiest oil-shipping routes, carrying about 20% of the world's oil and LNG supplies.
Currently, the strait has become a major point of conflict between Iran and the United States, with Iran seeking greater control over the waterway and threatening a crucial global trade route.
The conflict in the strait has raised energy prices globally.
And, ahead of the US midterm elections in November, Trump is facing pressure over how much the war is costing American consumers.
On Friday, the average price for one gallon of diesel in the US hit $5.85, compared to an average of $3.71 a year ago and above the previous high following Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, according to the American Automobile Association (AAA).
