US Forces Sink Iranian Oil Tanker in Gulf of Oman Amid Escalating Conflict
US Central Command says the M/T Kylo was targeted after Iran launched ballistic missiles at two American warships.
Quick Look
- An Iranian crude oil tanker, the M/T Kylo, sank in the Gulf of Oman after being struck by US forces.
- US Central Command stated the vessel was targeted following Iranian missile attacks on two American warships, as hostilities between Washington and Tehran escalate.
AI-generated summary
Why It Matters
The attack follows renewed US-Iran hostilities earlier in the week, involving Washington strikes and Iranian retaliatory missile launches.
An Iranian crude oil tanker has sunk in the Gulf of Oman after being struck by American forces, US Central Command (CENTCOM) has said. It was one of three commercial vessels targeted by the US on Saturday after Iran launched ballistic missiles at two American warships.
The M/T Kylo went down in the Gulf of Oman, CENTCOM said in a post on X on Sunday. The oil carrier “joined Iran’s navy at the bottom of the sea,” it added.
CENTCOM published drone footage showing the half-submerged vessel, with plumes of smoke coming from it. The US military said the M/T Kylo had not been carrying oil and that its crew had been directed to abandon ship before it was struck.
The attack follows renewed US-Iran hostilities earlier this week. Washington launched strikes on Iran on Tuesday, prompting Tehran to retaliate against US facilities in the Gulf with missiles and drones.
The US military described Iran’s missile launches against its aircraft carrier and guided-missile destroyer as unsuccessful and “unprovoked.” It claimed the three vessels it subsequently targeted were part of “a multibillion-dollar shadow network” financing Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).
“Let the message to the IRGC be clear: If you shoot at two of our ships, we will impose an even higher economic cost – taking out three of yours,” CENTCOM commander Admiral Brad Cooper said in a statement.
Tehran has confirmed that three Iranian tankers were attacked and damaged by US forces, but has not confirmed that the M/T Kylo sank. The Khatam al-Anbiya Central Headquarters warned that Washington would face even “more severe” strikes against its military vessels across the region should it continue to “harass” Iranian shipping and maintain a blockade on the country’s ports.
In response, the IRGC said it had struck three oil tankers that were “trespassing” in the Strait of Hormuz, along with three US-linked vessels, in retaliation for the American attacks.
The IRGC later said it had fired several ballistic missiles at a US aircraft carrier and a destroyer. “After sustaining damage and fearing another reprisal, the two warships were forced to flee the area of engagement,” it claimed. CENTCOM, however, said the vessels had successfully evaded the Iranian attacks and that no American personnel were harmed.
Tehran had previously warned that it would retaliate against oil and gas infrastructure belonging to US allies in the Gulf if its own oil infrastructure, particularly facilities on Kharg Island, were attacked or Washington attempted to seize the island.
Open Questions
- Will other commercial shipping routes in the Gulf close?
- How will Iran execute further retaliation?
