Dramatic moment US blitzes three Iranian oil tankers after ‘ballistic missiles launched towards navy warships’

THIS is the dramatic moment US forces blast three Iranian oil tankers after missiles were reportedly launched towards navy warships. US Central Command (CENTCOM) said it “permanently disabled” M/T Downy off the coast of Iran’s Kharg Island and M/T Stark 1 near Jask, east of the Strait of Hormuz. US Forces struck three oil tankers Credit: x.com/@CENTCOM CENTCOM said the tankers were part of a shadow network funding Iran’s Revolutionary Guard and its armed proxies Credit: x.com/@CENTCOM US said the strike came after missiles were fired towards warships Credit: AFP Footage shows the vessels in flames Credit: AFP American forces also “completely destroyed” the unladen crude oil carrier M/T Kylo in the Gulf of Oman, CENTCOM said. The statement, posted on X, said the tankers were part of a shadow network funding Iran’s Revolutionary Guard and its armed proxies. Sign up for The Sun newsletter Thank you! CENTCOM shared dramatic footage of what it said were the strikes. Massive blasts erupt across three different vessels before bursting into flames. Blazes rage across the ships as huge plumes of thick black smoke billow into the sky. CENTCOM said the strikes came after the IRGC launched ballistic missiles toward two US Navy warships patrolling regional waters. A US aircraft carrier and guided-missile destroyer successfully evaded “multiple unprovoked Iranian attacks”, according to CENTCOM. No US personnel were hurt, it added. Most read in The Sun CENTCOM commander Admiral Brad Cooper said: “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. “We will not hesitate to defend American forces, and if necessary, destroy Iran’s limited and exposed oil fleet.” Earlier, Iranian state TV said four US missiles struck a tanker about six miles from Kharg Island, where there is a terminal through which the country exports most of its oil. Kharg Island has been repeatedly targeted during the war, including US strikes on military sites there in March. The strikes came nearly a week after the US and Iran resumed attacks following a month of relative calm. As tensions flare, US President Donald Trump declared he may strike Iran’s Pickaxe Mountain nuclear site. The US president also described the spiralling war with Tehran as “small potatoes for us”. Iran’s nuclear program, the issue that sparked the war in February, was meant to be addressed in negotiations that fell apart soon after the US and Iran signed a memorandum of understanding in mid-June. Instead, Tehran’s new leverage focuses on the Strait of Hormuz – a crucial waterway used to transport oil and natural gas. The US military has been helping guide ships through the strait as Tehran continues to assert its control and targets vessels. Comment now