CENTCOM Says US Destroyed One Iranian Tanker, Disabled Two Others in Response to Missile Fire at US Warships

US Central Command (CENTCOM) said on Saturday, September 5, 2026 (14 Shahrivar 1405), that American forces struck three Iranian oil tankers in the Gulf of Oman and near Kharg Island, destroying one outright and disabling two others. CENTCOM described the strikes as a response to ballistic missiles it said Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) fired at a US aircraft carrier and a guided missile destroyer in regional waters, claiming both American vessels evaded the attack with no casualties. This account comes from CENTCOM alone; Iran's side had not issued an official statement on the alleged missile launch at US warships at the time of writing.

CENTCOM commander Admiral Brad Cooper said in a statement: "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." According to Al Jazeera, the US described the tankers as part of a multibillion dollar network financing the IRGC and its regional proxies. Al Jazeera also reported that the six month old conflict has killed 18 US service members so far, and that negotiations to end it have collapsed.

Iran's free market dollar rate in Tehran topped 227,000 tomans as the news spread today, while the Tehran Stock Exchange's main index (TEDPIX) rose more than 1.5 percent.