Centcom Disables Three Iranian Oil Tankers, IRGC Confirms Missile Strike on US Carrier and Destroyer

US Central Command (Centcom) said on the night of Saturday, September 5, 2026 (14 Shahrivar 1405), that it struck three tankers linked to Iran's Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) in response to IRGC ballistic missiles fired at a US aircraft carrier and a destroyer. Centcom said the tankers M/T Downy, near Kharg Island, and M/T Stark 1, near Jask, were permanently disabled, while M/T Kylo, unladen and outside the Persian Gulf, was completely destroyed after being hit multiple times. Centcom commander Vice Admiral Brad Cooper warned that for every two US ships fired upon, three Iranian vessels would be destroyed. Reuters, citing Tasnim, and CNN reported that US forces gave the Stark 1 crew a 10 minute warning to evacuate before striking the tanker's stern, and CNN said it verified an audio recording of the warning. The IRGC, in its official statement No. 10, said its aerospace force fired several ballistic missiles at the carrier and destroyer, which it said had been harassing Iranian vessels as part of a naval blockade, forcing both warships to flee. Iran's Foreign Ministry called the US strikes illegal and an act of aggression violating the UN Charter. US Secretary of War Pete Hegseth warned on X that if Iran fires on US ships again, Iran's oil tankers will be targeted even in the Indo Pacific region.