The U.S. military destroyed five Iranian crude oil tankers on September 8, 2026, in response to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps firing ballistic missiles at an American warship on September 6 and 7, according to U.S. Central Command (Centcom). The U.S. warship successfully evaded the attacks, and no American personnel were harmed, Centcom stated.
U.S. forces targeted four tankers in the Gulf of Oman: the M/T Kaviz, M/T Charminar, M/T Horizon 1, and M/T Riesco. The M/T Derya was struck near Iran's Kharg Island. Centcom reported that American forces directed the crews to abandon ship before the vessels were rendered inoperable.
The U.S. and Iran have engaged in a series of attacks in the Persian Gulf recently, escalating tensions in the region as the Trump administration shifts its strategy toward economically defeating Tehran. On September 6, the U.S. military destroyed three Iranian tankers following missile attacks on an aircraft carrier and a guided-missile destroyer, which also failed, according to Centcom.
Earlier on September 8, Centcom commented on an unmanned submersible reportedly seized by Iran in the Strait of Hormuz, stating it was "defective" and did not carry sensitive data or classified equipment. U.S. Navy Captain Tim Hawkins explained that the drone had malfunctioned while surveying regional waters in support of ongoing operations.
Iran's Revolutionary Guard claimed to have captured a sophisticated unmanned submarine from the U.S. military at the entrance to the Strait of Hormuz, according to a translated post from Iranian state news outlet Fars. Fars later released videos and images purportedly showing the vessel. However, Hawkins clarified that the drone was an older model that did not collect sensitive data or carry classified sonar or radar equipment.
Iranian media identified the sub as a Dive-LD, an autonomous undersea vehicle developed by U.S. defense contractor Anduril, with each unit costing approximately $2.5 million, as reported by Defense Scoop in 2024. This incident highlights the U.S. military's increasing reliance on autonomous technology in its operations in the Middle East.
This summer, unmanned boat startup Saronic utilized one of its drone vessels to rescue crew members from a helicopter that had crashed in the Hormuz Strait. Saronic's boats were also involved in a strike on an Iranian submarine and ship facility.