U.S. says it struck three Iranian tankers after missile attacks on warships
The U.S. military said it struck three Iranian tankers on September 5, 2026, after missile attacks on its warships. Iranian reporting described an attack near Kharg Island; key details remain unverified.
In short
- The U.S.
- military said it struck three Iranian tankers on September 5, 2026, after missile attacks on its warships.
- Iranian reporting described an attack near Kharg Island; key details remain unverified.
The U.S. military said it struck three Iranian oil tankers on September 5, 2026, after Iranian forces fired ballistic missiles toward two American warships, marking a new escalation in the maritime conflict.
In a [statement issued on September 5](https://www.centcom.mil/MEDIA/PUBLIC-RELEASES/Article/4591744/centcom-destroys-3-irgc-oil-tankers-after-iran-targets-2-us-navy-warships/), U.S. Central Command said an aircraft carrier and a guided-missile destroyer evaded the attacks and that no American personnel were harmed. That account of the missile launches has not been independently verified by AddisMizan.
CENTCOM said it permanently disabled the tankers Downy off Kharg Island and Stark 1 near Jask. It said a third vessel, the unladen Kylo, also known as Noxen, was destroyed in the Gulf of Oman after its crew was instructed to abandon ship.
The command alleged that the vessels supported a financing network for Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and its regional allies. That characterization is a U.S. military claim.
Iranian reporting also described a tanker attack near Kharg Island. According to [The Guardian](https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/sep/05/us-military-iran-tankers), the semiofficial Tasnim news agency said the crew survived and was being evacuated. The available accounts do not establish the condition of crews from all three vessels.
The strikes follow renewed exchanges between the United States and Iran after a period of relative calm. The competing accounts leave key details of the incident, including the full damage and any Iranian casualties, unresolved.
