While Operation Economic Fury and Operation Economic Outcast are hitting Iran hard in their checking accounts, the United States certainly isn't letting Iran off the military hook, either. On Tuesday, reports came out that American forces (probably) hit three Iranian oil tankers near the critical oil facilities on Kharg Island.
Reports are emerging from Iranian state media that U.S. forces have struck three Iranian oil tankers, following the earlier U.S. announcement that three Iranian crude carriers were disabled or destroyed on September 5. CENTCOM said the strikes were carried out after Iran launched… pic.twitter.com/BIt5QuQlcB
— OSINTdefender (@sentdefender) September 8, 2026
The post reads:
Reports are emerging from Iranian state media that U.S. forces have struck three Iranian oil tankers, following the earlier U.S. announcement that three Iranian crude carriers were disabled or destroyed on September 5. CENTCOM said the strikes were carried out after Iran launched ballistic missiles toward two U.S. Navy warships.
Just over 30 minutes ago, Iran’s Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces reportedly warned that U.S. forces had ordered crews aboard Iranian tankers to evacuate ahead of additional attacks. He also warned that any further attacks on Iranian tankers would result in Iranian attacks against U.S. bases across the region.
More to come on this situation.
Another report gives some more details:
Several explosions were reported near Iran’s Kharg Island in the Gulf, while an explosion was also heard in the southern port city of Jask, according to Iranian media.
Senior US officials told Fox that the US military had struck targets near Kharg Island and Jask, including Iranian oil tankers. The officials said the strikes were part of a broader effort to squeeze Iran economically, including plans to sink and disable Iranian crude oil tankers.
The latest strikes came after the US and Iran traded retaliatory attacks on ships on Saturday, in the latest round of strikes since fighting flared up a week ago following a month of relative calm.
Iran is said to have acknowledged the strikes.
The US military said it had “permanently disabled” two Iran-linked oil tankers, including one near Kharg Island, and “completely destroyed” a third tanker in the Gulf of Oman.
Iranian state media confirmed the strikes and said Tehran had responded by attacking three US-affiliated vessels, as well as three oil tankers traveling through the Strait of Hormuz along an “unauthorised” route.
Kharg Island is the bottleneck through which 90 percent of Iran's exported oil flows, and while it's not at all clear that's where these tankers were headed or coming from. There's no evidence that Kharg Island was engaged or hit in any way. But if the United States is serious about cutting off Iran's exports, hitting Kharg Island would be the way to go about it; but then, hitting tankers either attempting to take on oil or leaving after taking on oil would be another way of cutting that trade off without destroying the Kharg Island facilities that would be essential to rebuilding a new Iran.
There are also reports that Iran's commercial shipping ports are idle. That's another compelling argument for the certain starting down.
This is a breaking story. We will bring you updates as events warrant.
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