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“Three for two”: US forces destroy three Iranian tankers near Kharg Island after IRGC targets warships
US Central Command confirmed that American forces struck three Iranian oil tankers on Saturday, after the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) launched ballistic missiles toward two US Navy warships in the Gulf, according to a report by ZeroHedge.
Iranian state media had earlier reported that a tanker was struck near Kharg Island, Iran’s most important crude-export terminal, which handles about 90% of the country’s oil exports and serves as its primary link to global markets, particularly China. The semi-official Tasnim News Agency, affiliated with the IRGC, said several missiles hit the vessel early Saturday and published images purportedly showing black smoke rising from the ship.
Though the US military had not immediately confirmed the maritime incident when Iranian reports first emerged, CENTCOM later verified the strikes on X, stating that its forces had responded to the IRGC’s failed missile attacks by disabling the crude oil carriers M/T Downy off the coast of Kharg Island and M/T Stark 1 near Jask. A third vessel, the unladen crude carrier M/T Kylo, also known as the “Noxen,” was completely destroyed in the Gulf of Oman after being struck in multiple critical locations to render it inoperable, with its crew directed to abandon ship beforehand.
CENTCOM described the three tankers as part of a multibillion-dollar shadow network that funds the IRGC and its regional proxies. CENTCOM commander Admiral Brad Cooper said the message to the IRGC was clear: any attack on US ships would draw an even higher economic cost, framed as “three for two.” Cooper said, “If you shoot at two of our ships, we will impose an even higher economic cost – taking out three of yours.”
US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth echoed the warning on X, stating simply that Iran shooting at US ships would result in its oil tankers being destroyed and sunk.
Audio confirmed by CNN captured a US military aircraft issuing repeated warnings to one of the tankers via an emergency channel, instructing the crew to clear the vessel’s stern before the strike and later ordering them to abandon ship immediately.
The incident marks a significant escalation near Iran’s most critical crude-export infrastructure and raises the risk of further disruption to Persian Gulf energy flows, at a time when Iran’s oil industry is already reeling from a US naval blockade imposed after Tehran effectively shut the Strait of Hormuz, a waterway that carried roughly one-fifth of the world’s oil supply before the six-month conflict began. President Donald Trump has repeatedly referenced targeting Kharg Island throughout the war, including in an AI-generated video posted to Truth Social on August 31 depicting the island being “blown to smithereens.” Iranian authorities have vowed a strong response to any attack on the facility.