Screengrab from X video U.S. forces struck three Iranian crude oil tankers on Saturday after Iran’s IRGC fired ballistic missiles at two U.S. Navy warships in regional waters, the U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) said. A U.S. aircraft carrier and a guided-missile destroyer avoided several Iranian attacks. No American personnel were hurt, CENTCOM said. After the attacks, U.S. forces disabled two Iranian oil tankers and destroyed another. The M/T Downy was hit off the coast of Kharg Island, while the M/T Stark 1 was struck near Jask. CENTCOM said both vessels were permanently disabled. The third tanker, the unladen M/T Kylo, also known as the Noxen, was attacked in the Gulf of Oman. U.S. forces struck the vessel in several critical locations to make it inoperable, CENTCOM said. The crew had been told to abandon the ship. CENTCOM said the three tankers were part of a multibillion-dollar network that provides money to the IRGC and its regional proxies. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth later said the United States would destroy and sink Iranian oil tankers if Iran continued attacking U.S. Navy ships. There was no response from Iranian authorities. Iran is the third-largest producer in the Organisation of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC). Before the war, 90% of its crude exports went through Kharg Island. Those flows have been disrupted since the United States began a blockade of Iranian oil exports in mid-April. “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.” — Adm. Brad Cooper,… pic.twitter.com/UGGcSGsUtd — U.S. Central Command (@CENTCOM) September 5, 2026 Strait of Hormuz Effectively Shut The conflict between the United States and Iran has effectively shut the Strait of Hormuz , which was a key route for the world’s oil supply before the war. The waterway is