US Central Command strikes three Iranian oil tankers after missile attacks on Navy warships

The US military disabled three crude oil tankers linked to Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps on September 5, responding directly to Iranian missile strikes on two US Navy warships. Central Command released video of the operation, which targeted vessels in the Strait of Hormuz, the narrow waterway through which a massive share of global crude supply flows daily. No casualties were reported on either side. Commercial shipping continued moving through the strait under heightened US naval protection. What happened and why it matters Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps fired missiles at two American warships. The US hit back by disabling three IRGC-linked oil carriers. CENTCOM then published the footage, a move that serves dual purposes: demonstrating capability and sending a public message to Tehran. The strikes used precision munitions aimed at critical ship components. The goal was to render the tankers inoperable without sinking them, limiting collateral damage and avoiding environmental catastrophe from oil spills. A year of escalation Iranian forces have conducted multiple drone and missile attacks on commercial tankers and marked US targets throughout 2026. One notable earlie...