US forces struck three Iranian oil tankers on Saturday after Iran launched ballistic missiles towards two US Navy ships, with no American personnel harmed in the exchange. The US military destroyed a third vessel near the Gulf of Oman, while also disabling two other crude oil carriers off the coast of Kharg Island and near Jask. According to Adm. Brad Cooper, the commander of CENTCOM, the strikes were a response to Iran's "illegal and aggressive" actions, with the goal of imposing an economic cost on Iran. Iran has condemned the US strikes as a war crime and a threat to international peace and commercial shipping.
Written by the local model on 2026-09-05,
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Leaning score +0.35 for article 4655 (high confidence, 1 verified quote) · logged 2026-09-05
U.S. forces struck three Iranian oil tankers Saturday after Iran launched ballistic missiles toward two U.S. Navy ships, the U.S. military said.
asserted
military → strike → ships
A U.S. aircraft carrier and guided missile destroyer evaded multiple attacks by Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, U.S. Central Command said in a statement.
asserted
Command → guide → statement
No American personnel were harmed.
asserted
personnel → harm → ?
CENTCOM said U.S. forces retaliated by permanently disabling two crude oil carriers, the M/T Downy off the coast of Kharg Island and the M/T Stark 1 near Jask.
asserted
forces → say → Jask
Forces also destroyed a third vessel, the M/T Kylo near the Gulf of Oman.
asserted
Forces → destroy → Oman
The Kylo was not carrying oil at the time and its crew was directed to abandon the vessel before American forces struck it in multiple locations, CENTCOM said.
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CENTCOM → carry → locations
“If you shoot at two of our ships, we will impose an even higher economic cost — taking out three of yours,” Adm. Brad Cooper, the commander of CENTCOM, said in a statement.
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Cooper → shoot → statement
“We will not hesitate to defend American forces, and if necessary, destroy Iran’s limited and exposed oil fleet.”
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We → hesitate → fleet
Iran’s Foreign Ministry strongly condemned the U.S. strikes, calling them “illegal and aggressive” and accusing Washington of waging a naval blockade and economic war against Iran.
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Ministry → condemn → Iran
In a statement carried by Iranian state media IRIB, the ministry said the attacks violated the United Nations Charter and constituted a war crime and a threat to international peace and commercial shipping.
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attacks → carry → peace
Kharg Island, a tiny but strategic island 15 miles off the coast of Iran in the Persian Gulf, plays a central role in the country’s oil industry.
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Island → play → industry
The site has repeatedly emerged as a flashpoint during the conflict.
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site → emerge → conflict
U.S. forces struck military targets on the island in March but deliberately spared its oil infrastructure.
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forces → strike → infrastructure
President Donald Trump said at the time that the U.S. could target the energy facilities if Iran continued interfering with shipping through the Strait of Hormuz.
uncertain
Iran → say → Hormuz
Petras Katinas, a research fellow at the Royal United Services Institute, previously told NBC News that Kharg is the “backbone” of Iran’s oil trade infrastructure and the primary gateway for the country’s oil reserves.
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Kharg → tell → reserves
Iranian media reported earlier Saturday that a tanker near Kharg had been hit by U.S. missiles and that its crew was being evacuated.
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crew → report → missiles
No causalities were reported, according to Iran’s semiofficial Tasnim news agency.
uncertain
causalities → report → agency
