Washington, DC – US Central Command (CENTCOM) announced on Sunday that the oil tanker MT Kilo had sunk in the Gulf of Oman. This followed a US attack targeting three oil tankers linked to Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. In response, Tehran announced a direct retaliation, targeting three tankers and three vessels associated with the United States.
Details of the American operation and the sinking of the tanker “Kilo”
In a statement released via its X platform, US Central Command (CENTCOM) said, “Thanks to the precision and professionalism of US forces, the tanker MT Kilo sank today to the bottom of the Gulf of Oman, joining the Iranian navy in the depths of the sea.” The sinking followed precision strikes targeting the tanker at several critical locations. These strikes rendered the vessel completely inoperable after forcing its crew to abandon ship. CENTCOM also released videos showing flames erupting from the tanker.
The collapse of relative calm and an exchange of missile strikes
This sharp military escalation ends a month of relative calm in the region. It coincided with Washington’s intensification of economic pressure on Tehran and the stalling of diplomatic efforts. CENTCOM explained that the Iranian Revolutionary Guard initiated the attack by launching ballistic missiles toward two US warships. However, the forces were able to evade the attacks without any casualties among their personnel.
Striking the Iranian financing network and military deterrence
In response to the attacks, US forces permanently disabled the oil tankers Dawnee and Stark 1, in addition to destroying the tanker Kilo. It’s worth noting that CENTCOM described the tanker as part of a “billion-dollar shadow network funding the Revolutionary Guard.” For his part, Central Command chief Admiral Brad Cooper vowed to continue responding decisively. He affirmed that Washington would not hesitate to destroy the Iranian oil fleet if necessary.
