U.S. forces struck three Iranian crude oil tankers on September 5 after Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) launched ballistic missiles toward two U.S. Navy warships operating in regional waters, according to U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM).

CENTCOM said a U.S. aircraft carrier and a guided-missile destroyer successfully avoided multiple Iranian attacks, with no American personnel reported injured. In response, U.S. forces permanently disabled the M/T Downy off Kharg Island and the M/T Stark 1 near Jask

American forces also destroyed the unladen crude oil tanker M/T Kylo, also known as Noxen, in the Gulf of Oman. CENTCOM said the crew had been directed to abandon the vessel before it was struck in several locations and rendered inoperable. The U.S. military alleged that the three tankers were part of a network providing financial support to the IRGC and its regional allies.

Iran later said its forces targeted three oil tankers and three U.S.-linked vessels in response to the American strikes, although those claims were not immediately independently confirmed. The latest exchange adds to security concerns for commercial shipping around the Strait of Hormuz, Persian Gulf and Gulf of Oman as military tensions between Iran and the United States continue.