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US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth has warned Iran that the US will destroy and sink its oil tankers if Iranian forces attack US Navy ships, a day after American forces struck three Iranian oil vessels.
“It’s simple: if Iran shoots at U.S. ships, we will destroy (and sink) their oil tankers,” Hegseth said in a post on X on Saturday (September 5) post. “All they have to do is not shoot at USNavy.”
Hegseth also said Iran’s oil tanker fleet was “defenseless”, adding that US aircraft, ships and submarines
could strike the vessels.
It’s simple: if Iran shoots at U.S. ships, we will destroy (and sink) their oil tankers. All they have to do is not shoot at @USNavy.
Iran’s oil tanker fleet is defenseless — Iran has no navy or air force. Our planes, ships & subs can strike them all, in @CENTCOM & @USPACOM. https://t.co/lr5TaxloBw
— Pete Hegseth (@PeteHegseth) September 5, 2026
His warning came after US Central Command said it had struck three Iranian oil tankers following ballistic missile attacks by Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps on two US Navy ships. No US personnel were injured in the attacks, CENTCOM said.
CENTCOM commander Admiral Brad Cooper had earlier warned that the US would impose an “even higher economic cost” on Iran if its forces attacked American ships, saying Washington could destroy Iran’s “limited and exposed oil fleet”.
“Let the message to the IRGC be clear: If you shoot at two of our ships, we will impose an even higher economic cost —taking out three of yours. We will not hesitate to defend American forces, and if necessary, destroy Iran’s limited and exposed oil fleet.” — Adm. Brad Cooper,… pic.twitter.com/UGGcSGsUtd
— U.S. Central Command (@CENTCOM) September 5, 2026
Iran, meanwhile, warned that it would intensify attacks on US military vessels if Washington continued to interfere with Iranian shipping. The IRGC also said it had targeted tankers travelling through what it called unauthorised routes.
