U.S. Destroys Five Iranian Tankers After Missile Attack on Navy Ship
U.S. Central Command reported the destruction of five Iranian crude oil tankers, calling the strikes a response to a missile attack on a U.S. Navy ship. The IRGC threatened attacks on tankers off the coast of Kuwait and Bahrain. The operation is taking place amid a naval blockade of Iran, under which CENTCOM redirected dozens of vessels.
Sources
· 3Key points
- CENTCOM reported the destruction of five Iranian crude oil tankers: four in the Gulf of Oman and one near Khark Island.
- The strikes were a direct response to Iran's ballistic missile attacks on a U.S. Navy warship.
- The IRGC threatened attacks on oil tankers off the coast of Kuwait and Bahrain.
- As part of the naval blockade of Iran, on September 6 CENTCOM rerouted 92 commercial vessels, took three out of service, and inspected three.
- From July 14 to August 23, CENTCOM rerouted 70 vessels, disabled three, and military personnel boarded two.
What happened
U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) reported on X that it had destroyed five Iranian crude oil tankers. Four tankers were attacked in the Gulf of Oman, and another near Khark Island. The strikes were a direct response to Iran's ballistic missile attacks on a U.S. Navy warship.
On September 6, CENTCOM posted a statement about the blockade on its X page. The statement says that, as part of the naval blockade of Iran, the routes of 92 commercial vessels were changed. Three vessels were “taken out of service,” and another three were inspected “to ensure compliance.”
Who's affected
Oil tankers off the coasts of Kuwait and Bahrain were threatened with IRGC attacks. As part of the blockade, CENTCOM inspected three vessels and took another three out of service. Earlier, as of August 23, American troops had boarded two vessels.