US says it hit Iran oil tankers helping finance ‘regional proxies’

What the report says

The United States military said it carried out strikes on three Iranian oil tankers, including vessels in the Gulf of Oman and near Iran’s Kharg island, after the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps launched ballistic missiles toward two US Navy warships. The account was published by Al Jazeera on September 5, 2026, citing US Central Command (CENTCOM). According to CENTCOM, a US aircraft carrier and guided-missile destroyer had evaded multiple Iranian attacks in regional waters before the tanker strikes were ordered.

CENTCOM said two of the tankers were disabled and a third was destroyed. It described the ships as part of a broader oil network that helps fund the IRGC and groups it calls its “regional proxies.” The command said no US personnel were injured and did not immediately provide details on possible casualties tied to the tanker strikes.

The strikes follow a wider exchange of attacks between the US and Iran during a six-month conflict that Al Jazeera said has driven up global energy prices and led to the deaths of 18 US service members. The report also noted that negotiations to end the war have collapsed. In broader context, attacks on oil shipping in the Gulf have often raised concern because they can affect regional security and international energy markets, though the article did not say how long the latest disruption might last.