US destroys five Iranian tankers after warship targeted with ballistic missiles

Washington: The United States has destroyed five Iranian crude oil tankers in the Gulf of Oman and near Kharg Island after Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) twice fired ballistic missiles at a US Navy warship, according to US Central Command (CENTCOM).

The command said the American warship evaded both missile attempts over the previous two days and that no US personnel were harmed. In response, US forces struck the tankers on Tuesday, ordering the crews to abandon ship before rendering the vessels inoperable. No casualties were reported among the tanker crews.

CENTCOM identified the destroyed ships as M/T Kaviz, M/T Charminar, M/T Horizon 1 and M/T Riesco in the Gulf of Oman, and M/T Derya near Kharg Island, a major Iranian oil export terminal in the Persian Gulf. The vessels were described as IRGC-operated crude carriers forming part of a multibillion-dollar network that funds the Guard and its regional proxies.

The US military did not name the warship targeted, specify the location of the missile attempts or say how many missiles were fired. The operation marks the second US strike on Iranian tankers in four days; on 5 September, CENTCOM destroyed three Iranian crude carriers after the IRGC attempted to attack a US aircraft carrier and a guided-missile destroyer.

Kharg Island has long handled a large share of Iran’s seaborne crude exports, and military activity in its vicinity raises concerns over the security of commercial shipping and energy supplies in the Gulf. Analysts warn that any sustained disruption to tanker traffic could push up insurance and freight costs and affect global oil prices, with implications for major importers such as India.

(Inputs from IANS)