U.S. Destroys Five More IRGC Tankers After Iran Targets Navy Warship

Don’t Miss Your Daily Briefing for the Maritime Industry
Join the leading maritime news network
— trusted by our 107,379 members
U.S. Central Command imagery shows the Iranian tankers Derya, Horizon 1, Kaviz and Charminar during U.S. strikes on Sept. 8, 2026. (Courtesy USCENTCOM)
U.S. Destroys Five More IRGC Tankers After Iran Targets Navy Warship
U.S. forces destroyed five Iranian crude oil tankers Tuesday after the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps targeted a U.S. Navy warship with ballistic missiles twice over the past two days, according to U.S. Central Command.
CENTCOM said the warship successfully evaded both attacks and continued its patrol. No American personnel were injured.
In response, U.S. forces struck the Kaviz, Charminar, Horizon 1 and Riesco in the Gulf of Oman, along with the Deryanear Iran’s Kharg Island. CENTCOM said crews were ordered to abandon the vessels before they were struck and rendered inoperable.
The strikes bring to eight the number of Iranian tankers attacked by U.S. forces since Sept. 5.
On Saturday, CENTCOM struck the Downy off Kharg Island and Stark 1 near Jask and sank the Kylo, also known as Noxen, in the Gulf of Oman. Those strikes followed Iranian ballistic missile attacks targeting a U.S. aircraft carrier and guided-missile destroyer.
CENTCOM says the tankers are part of a multibillion-dollar shadow network used to fund the IRGC and its regional proxies.
UK Maritime Trade Operations issued a new advisory Tuesday after receiving a report involving a merchant vessel in the strait. UKMTO said the vessel was “subject to interaction as part of ongoing military activity in the region.” Authorities are investigating the incident. The advisory did not identify the vessel or provide further details about the interaction.
The latest exchange comes as tensions around the Strait of Hormuz continue to escalate.
Earlier Tuesday, Iran’s Revolutionary Guards threatened to target ships in Kuwaiti and Bahraini ports that host U.S. forces and warned crews to evacuate, according to Iranian state media.
The latest U.S. strikes suggest the tit-for-tat campaign is accelerating, with Washington increasingly targeting Iran’s oil-exporting fleet in direct response to attacks on American warships.
Suez Canal revenue rose 42% in July from the year earlier, as the Iran war’s effective closure of the Strait of Hormuz and Houthi threats in the southern Red Sea led more ships to use the Egyptian waterway.
Iran said it will announce a new restricted zone in the Gulf in the coming days, along with maps of a new shipping corridor through the Strait of Hormuz, as a weekend exchange of strikes on shipping sent oil prices higher on Monday.
By Florence Tan SINGAPORE, Sept 7 (Reuters) – An average of 10 commodity ships transited the Strait of Hormuz per day over the past 10 days, the lowest since May, according to shipping data...
September 6, 2026
Total Views: 1552
Get The Industry’s Go-To News
Subscribe to gCaptain Daily and stay informed with the latest global maritime and offshore news
— just like 107,379 professionals
Secure Your Spot
on the gCaptain Crew
Stay informed with the latest maritime and offshore news, delivered daily straight to your inbox
— trusted by our 107,379 members
Your Gateway to the Maritime World!
Essential news coupled with the finest maritime content sourced from across the globe.

* U.S. forces destroyed five Iranian crude oil tankers Tuesday.
* The destruction followed the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps targeting a U.S. Navy warship with ballistic missiles over two days.
* CENTCOM reported that the attacked warship successfully evaded attacks and continued its patrol.
* U.S. forces struck the Kaviz, Charminar, Horizon 1, and Riesco in the Gulf of Oman, along with the Deryanear.
* Crews on these vessels were ordered to abandon the vessels before they were struck and rendered inoperable.
* The strikes brought the total number of Iranian tankers attacked by U.S. forces since September 5th to eight.
* Previous strikes included hitting the Downy off Kharg Island and sinking the Kylo near Jask in the Gulf of Oman.
* Iran threatened to target ships in Kuwaiti and Bahraini ports that host U.S. forces.
* Suez Canal revenue rose 42% in July from the year earlier due to the effective closure of the Strait of Hormuz and Houthi threats in the southern Red Sea.
* Iran announced plans for a new restricted zone and maps for a new shipping corridor through the Strait of Hormuz.

U.S. forces destroyed five Iranian crude oil tankers following attacks by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps on a U.S. Navy warship, according to U.S. Central Command. The action occurred after Iran targeted the U.S. Navy vessel with ballistic missiles over two days. In response, U.S. forces struck vessels including the Kaviz, Charminar, Horizon 1, and Riesco in the Gulf of Oman, as well as the Deryanear. Crews on these vessels were ordered to abandon them before they were struck and disabled. These strikes brought the total number of Iranian tankers attacked by U.S. forces since September 5th to eight. Previous actions included striking the Downy off Kharg Island and sinking the Kylo near Jask in the Gulf of Oman, which followed missile attacks on a U.S. aircraft carrier and guided-missile destroyer. These destroyed tankers are reported to be part of a network allegedly used to fund the IRGC and its regional proxies.

The narrative presented involves a reciprocal escalation pattern where actions taken against U.S. military assets prompt retaliatory strikes against Iranian commercial shipping, framed within a larger geopolitical context concerning the Strait of Hormuz. The connection drawn between the tanker destruction and funding for the IRGC suggests an underlying systemic pattern of leveraging maritime assets for political objectives. The rise in Suez Canal revenue due to disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz highlights the tangible economic consequences of these regional tensions on global trade routes. Furthermore, the coordinated signaling—Iran announcing new restrictions while engaging in strikes—suggests a calculated maneuver intended to reshape the regional maritime environment and influence global energy markets through controlled instability. The shift from direct military confrontation to targeting commercial infrastructure demonstrates a strategy where economic leverage is integrated into the conflict cycle. What are the long-term consequences for maritime law and trade stability when commercial vessels become incorporated into these security dynamics? How do the stated goals of countering shadow networks interact with the resulting volatility in vital transit chokepoints?

U.S. Destroys Five More IRGC Tankers After Iran Targets Navy Warship

Facts Only

Executive Summary

Full Take

Sentinel — Human

U.S. Destroys Five More IRGC Tankers After Iran Targets Navy Warship

Facts Only

Executive Summary

Full Take

Sentinel — Human