Five Iranian Oil Carriers Destroyed By U.S. Forces After IRGC Attacks Navy Warship

M/T Riesco sank bow-first on Sept. 8 after being destroyed by U.S. Central Command forces in response to attempted attacks by Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps on a U.S. Navy warship.

Official footage shows the large crude carrier burning after the strike. The ship lists heavily before going down in the Gulf of Oman. The vessel shown is identified by CENTCOM as M/T Riesco.

CENTCOM said U.S. forces destroyed five Iranian crude oil carriers after the IRGC fired ballistic missiles at a U.S. Navy warship twice over the preceding two days. The warship evaded both attacks, remained on patrol and no American personnel were harmed.

The other vessels named by CENTCOM were M/T Kaviz, M/T Charminar and M/T Horizon 1 in the Gulf of Oman, along with M/T Derya near Kharg Island.

CENTCOM said crews were ordered to abandon the ships before they were struck and rendered inoperable. It also said the vessels were part of a shadow oil network used to fund the IRGC and its proxies.

Tasnim and Iranian state TV reported strikes on tankers near Jask and Kharg, while dpa later reported that at least one of the struck ships had sunk.