US Destroys Three Iranian Oil Tankers Near Kharg Island and Jask After IRGC Missile Attack on US Warships

Iran's Revolutionary Guards (IRGC) fired anti-ship ballistic missiles from Isfahan and Kerman at two US Navy warships patrolling the Strait of Hormuz on Sep 5; US Central Command said both vessels 'successfully evaded multiple unprovoked Iranian attacks' with no personnel injured. Hours later the US struck back at the tankers underpinning Iran's sanctioned oil trade, hitting three vessels identified as the M/T Downy near Kharg Island (Iran's principal export terminal), the M/T Stark 1 near Jask, and a third, unladen tanker in the Gulf of Oman; CENTCOM said it 'permanently disabled' the Downy and Stark 1 and 'completely destroyed' the third ship, describing the vessels as part of a 'multibillion-dollar shadow network' financing the IRGC and its regional proxies. Fleet commander Admiral Brad Cooper framed the strikes as deliberate escalation-matching: 'If you shoot at two of our ships, we will impose an even higher economic cost -- taking out three of yours.' Iran's Foreign Ministry called the tanker strikes 'economic warfare' and a violation of the UN Charter. Brent crude closed the week near $96/bbl and US diesel hit a record $5.85/gallon as the standoff shifted from strikes on shore bases into direct attacks on the tankers themselves.