The US military has struck three Iranian oil tankers in response to Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps launching ballistic missiles at two US Navy warships. Admiral Brad Cooper said the strikes were meant to impose an even higher economic cost on Iran by targeting its oil tankers, which are part of a shadow network helping to fund the IRGC. The attacks follow a week of escalating tensions between the two countries, with no reported casualties from the US side and conflicting reports on damage to the Iranian tankers. The strikes come as global energy supplies remain disrupted and crude prices have surged to their highest level since July 24 at $96.28 per barrel due to Middle East tensions.
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Leaning score +0.35 for article 5095 (high confidence, 1 verified quote) · logged 2026-09-06
The U.S. military says it struck three Iranian oil tankers Saturday, including one off the coast of Kharg Island, near Iran's key oil export hub.
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it → say → hub
The strikes were carried out after Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps launched ballistic missiles at two U.S. Navy warships, Central Command said.
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Command → carry → warships
“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," said Admiral Brad Cooper, head of U.S. Central Command.
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Cooper → shoot → Command
In a statement Saturday, the military said an aircraft carrier and a destroyer evaded “multiple unprovoked Iranian attacks”, and no U.S. personnel were hurt.
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personnel → say → attacks
It said two Iranian oil carriers were “permanently disabled” and the third, unladen one, was destroyed.
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one → say → ?
The U.S. statement said the tankers were part of a shadow network helping to fund Iran’s IRGC.
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tankers → say → IRGC
Tasnim, the semi-official Iranian news agency, reported earlier that four U.S. missiles hit a tanker in the area of Kharg's anchorage.
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missiles → report → anchorage
Tasnim quoted local sources as saying there were no casualties and the tanker's crew was being evacuated.
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crew → quote → sources
The exchange of attacks follows an escalation in the past week that threatens to deepen a conflict that has dragged on since the U.S. launched strikes on Iran in February, disrupting global energy supplies and drawing opposition from a majority of Americans before congressional elections in November.
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U.S. → follow → November
President Donald Trump said on August 31 in a one-line social media post accompanied by an AI-generated video that Kharg Island was being "blown to smithereens".
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Island → say → smithereens
Iranian authorities have vowed a strong response if Kharg is attacked.
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Kharg → vow → response
Iran is the third-largest producer in the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries and exported 90 percent of its crude via Kharg Island before the war, but flows have been disrupted since a U.S. blockade of Iranian oil exports began in mid-April.
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blockade → export → April
Trump said on June 11 that he wanted to take over Kharg Island, but then said a threatened U.S. military operation there was off the table for now, days before Tehran and Washington signed an interim agreement aimed at ending the war on June 17.
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Tehran → say → June
A U.S. attack on Kharg would further pressure Iran's oil industry and its wider economy, which is already reeling from the U.S. naval blockade.
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which → pressure → blockade
The U.S. imposed its blockade on Iranian ports after Iran effectively shut the Strait of Hormuz, an important waterway that carried one-fifth of the world's oil supply before the war.
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that → impose → war
Brent crude futures closed at their highest level since July 24 on Friday, at $96.28 a barrel, as tensions in the Middle East drive global supply concerns.
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tensions → close → concerns
