Washington, United States – U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) officially announced the sinking of the oil tanker *M/T Riesco* in the waters of the Gulf of Oman on Tuesday, September 8. This announcement marks a rapidly unfolding development on the ground, reflecting the intensity of maritime confrontations in the region. Regarding the details of the incident, CENTCOM released a video documenting the event via its official account on the social media platform X. It explained that the destruction and sinking of the vessel were the result of a direct and immediate military response by U.S. forces, following hostile actions by elements of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) targeting a U.S. Navy warship.
Official data released by CENTCOM confirmed that U.S. forces also destroyed five additional Iranian crude oil tankers on the same date, September 8. This followed ballistic missile attacks launched by the Revolutionary Guard against a U.S. warship on two separate occasions in recent days.
Despite the danger posed by the attacks and the targeting of warships, Central Command reported that the targeted vessel successfully evaded the Iranian missiles with high proficiency. It continued its routine patrol missions in regional waters without sustaining any injuries or casualties among U.S. personnel. This maritime escalation further complicates the crisis surrounding global navigation security and energy supplies in the Arabian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman.
