The U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) announced on Sunday the sinking of the oil tanker M/T Kilo in the waters of the Gulf of Oman. This incident occurred as part of an American offensive that targeted three tankers linked to Iran's
Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). In response, Tehran declared it had targeted three tankers and three other vessels it described as associated with the United States. CENTCOM further clarified that the M/T Kilo tanker settled at the bottom of the Gulf of
Oman, attributing the event to the "precision and professionalism of U.S. forces" and noting it "joins the Iranian navy in the depths of the sea." The sinking followed the tanker's targeting at several critical points, which led to its complete
disablement, after its crew had been ordered to evacuate. These developments bring military escalation back to the forefront after a month of relative calm, amidst Washington's intensified economic pressure on Tehran and the faltering diplomatic path between the two sides. The U.S.
Central Command explained that these operations were a response to the IRGC's launch of ballistic missiles towards two U.S. warships patrolling the region's waters. Following the failure of the Iranian attacks, U.S. forces permanently disabled two oil tankers, the "Downey"
off Kharg Island and the "Stark 1" near Jask, in addition to destroying the empty "Kilo" tanker in the Gulf of Oman. CENTCOM also released a video showing flames and fireballs rising from the targeted vessels. CENTCOM described the three tankers
as part of a "multibillion-dollar shadow network funding the Iranian Revolutionary Guard and its proxies in the region," confirming that no U.S. personnel were injured, as an aircraft carrier and a guided-missile destroyer successfully evaded the Iranian attacks. In this regard,
U.S. Central Command Commander Admiral Brad Cooper stated: "If you shoot at two of our ships, we will impose a greater economic cost by destroying three of yours." Admiral Cooper vowed that U.S. forces "will not hesitate" to defend themselves
and destroy what he described as "Iran's limited and exposed oil fleet," if necessary.
