Breaking News · Sep 9, 2026U.S. Says It Destroyed 5 Iranian Oil Tankers After Warship Attacks

KEMETIC MINDS — BREAKING NEWS
September 08, 2026

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The U.S. military said it destroyed five Iranian oil tankers Tuesday in response to two attacks on a U.S. warship by Iran’s Revolutionary Guard over the past two days ^[1]. The tanker strikes are the latest tit-for-tat retaliation in a more than six-month-old war between Washington and Tehran ^[1].

Key Facts

• Central Command identified the destroyed tankers as the Kivik, Charminar, Horizon 1, and Riesco in the Gulf of Oman, along with the vessel Derya near Kharg Island in the Strait of Hormuz ^[1].
• Central Command said crews of the five vessels were told to abandon ship before the attacks ^[1].
• The strikes come just three days after U.S. forces destroyed three Iranian oil tankers after Iran’s Revolutionary Guards tried to attack a U.S. aircraft carrier and destroyer ^[1].
• Iranian state television reported U.S. forces attacked at least three Iranian oil tankers near the southern port of Jask and near Kharg Island, saying crews were evacuated ^[1].
• Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the U.S. will not allow Iran’s attacks to go unanswered ^[1].

Missiles Reported Toward U.S. Targets in Jordan

Iranian state-run media said Iran has launched missiles toward U.S. targets in Jordan following the latest American strikes ^[1]. Asked about the strikes on the Jordanian airbase, U.S. Central Command said it had no information to offer ^[1].

Iranian state television gave its own account of the maritime attacks. A state TV reporter in Jask said an Iranian tanker was struck near the coast of Yekbeni, while another explosion was heard in the area whose source and location were not immediately clear ^[1]. State TV later reported that a second tanker was attacked near waters off Jask, with crews being evacuated by lifeboat toward the Jask coast, and that another tanker was attacked in the Kharg Island anchorage area, with its crew safely evacuated ^[1].

The Inquirer reported that the latest U.S. strikes are part of a dual economic and military approach by President Donald Trump as he struggles to bring an end to the more than six-month-old war with Tehran ^[1].

Rubio Vows Further Losses; Expert Warns of Escalation Risks

“Iran continues to try to hit U.S. naval ships,” Rubio told reporters Tuesday while on a trip to Colombia. “And for every time they do that or try to do that, they’re going to lose tankers. And I think you’ll see that again today” ^[1].

Danny Citrinowicz, an Iran expert at Israel’s Institute for National Security Studies, warned that the back-and-forth strikes can only risk more retaliation and further impact to the global economy ^[1]. “There is no kinetic solution to the Strait of Hormuz problem,” he said on social media. “Every attempt to impose one only brings Washington and Tehran closer to an escalation that may become increasingly difficult to control” ^[1].

What’s Still Unconfirmed

Iran’s reported missile launches toward U.S. targets in Jordan are not confirmed by the U.S. military; Central Command said it had no information to offer when asked about the strikes on the Jordanian airbase ^[1].

The second explosion reported near Jask has no confirmed source or location ^[1]. Central Command says five tankers were destroyed, while Iranian state television reported attacks on at least three, leaving the accounts not fully reconciled ^[1].

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References

1. Inquirer. (2026, September 8). U.S. says it has destroyed 5 Iranian oil tankers after missile attacks on Navy warship. inquirer.com ↩a ↩b ↩c ↩d ↩e ↩f ↩g ↩h ↩i ↩j ↩k ↩l ↩m ↩n ↩o ↩p ↩q ↩r

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