US Destroys 5 IRGC Oil Tankers in Gulf of Oman — SkimNews
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- CENTCOM announced US forces destroyed five IRGC oil tankers on Tuesday, disabling M/T Kaviz, M/T Charminar, M/T Horizon 1, and M/T Riesco in the Gulf of Oman plus M/T Derya near Kharg Island after attempted Iranian missile launches at US Navy warships.
- CENTCOM said crews were directed to abandon ship before US forces fired, and no US personnel were harmed in the operations.
- CENTCOM characterized the tankers as part of "a multibillion-dollar shadow network that funds the IRGC and its regional proxies," asserting Iran "has no means by which to defend these vessels."
- On Saturday, the US military had "permanently disabled" three IRGC crude oil tankers near Kharg Island and in the Gulf of Oman, and a day later the IRGC attacked a remotely operated US military vessel in the Strait of Hormuz, according to Iranian state media.
- Iran announced a "restricted zone" near the Strait of Hormuz on Sunday, with Press TV reporting non-compliant ships would be placed on a sanctions list.
- The US naval blockade in the Arabian Sea has redirected 94 commercial ships, disabled three, and boarded one since mid-July, per CENTCOM's Monday update.
- Brent crude was trading at $97 per barrel Tuesday amid the Middle East flare-ups.
Why it matters: Brent crude hit $97 per barrel Tuesday as the confrontation broadens from tanker strikes into direct naval exchanges — the IRGC attacked a US vessel Sunday in the Strait of Hormuz, where Iran just declared a restricted zone. CENTCOM's framing of the tankers as a "multibillion-dollar shadow network" signals the campaign targets Iran's revenue stream, not just retaliation, while the ongoing blockade (94 ships redirected since mid-July) chokes commercial traffic through the Gulf.
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