The United States Armed Forces took aim at five more oil tankers from the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps on Tuesday, including in the Gulf of Oman and around Kharg Island, according to U.S. Central Command.
CENTCOM noted that no American troops were hurt during the process despite "attempted Iranian attacks," especially after attempted ballistic missile strikes by Iran against a naval ship.
Individuals working on the Iranian oil tankers were told to ditch the ships before they were hit by American troops, as the ships were about to become "inoperable."
Here's what CENTCOM said in a press release:
In response to Iran’s most recent failed attacks, CENTCOM destroyed the IRGC crude oil carriers M/T Kaviz, M/T Charminar, M/T Horizon 1, and M/T Riesco in the Gulf of Oman as well as M/T Derya near Kharg Island. American forces directed the crews to abandon ship before the vessels were struck and rendered inoperable.
Iran has used the tankers as part of a multibillion-dollar shadow network that funds the IRGC and its regional proxies. Iran has no means by which to defend these vessels.
On Sept. 5, CENTCOM forces destroyed three Iranian crude oil carriers after the IRGC tried to attack a U.S. aircraft carrier and guided-missile destroyer. All IRGC attempts against U.S. Navy warships have failed.
President Donald Trump said earlier this month that he's not interested in trying to get a deal with the Islamic Republic anymore, especially after the U.S. says that Iran violated the Memorandum of Understanding earlier this summer by striking cargo ships in the Strait of Hormuz.
"I’m not trying to force Iran to the bargaining table, as ABC Fake News reported. I couldn’t care less if they sign a worthless, to them, agreement," Trump posted to Truth Social last Tuesday. "I like our position now much better, with almost total control of the Hormuz Strait, and their economy totally collapsing. They are just playing out the inevitable. When are the Iranian people going to rise up and fight?"
Meanwhile, "Operation Economic Outcast" is charging forward in the Trump administration, as it aims to take harsh action against countries and entities with ties to the Iranian government. Most recently, the Tresuary Department annouced sanctions aimed at the airline industry in the Islamic Republic.
“Under Operation Economic Outcast, we promised severe consequences for those providing financial lifelines to the Iranian regime,” Secretary of the Treasury Scott Bessent said in a statement Tuesday. “Today, we followed through on that promise with sanctions on companies that continue to support Mahan Air. Let this be a warning to anyone doing business with Iran’s remaining airlines, all of which we sanctioned today: You are at risk of being cut off from the global financial system.”