IRGC say missiles struck US aircraft carrier, destroyer. Photo: Anadolu Agency
Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said on early Sunday that it targeted a US aircraft carrier and a navy destroyer with ballistic missiles, claiming both were damaged and withdrew from the area.
The IRGC said in a statement published by IRNA news agency that its Aerospace Force launched the missiles at the two warships.
It claimed the vessels had harassed Iranian ships and were taking part in a maritime blockade, adding that both warships left the “engagement area” after sustaining damage.
The IRGC said the US military’s Central Command (CENTCOM) acknowledged that two navy warships were targeted, describing its statement as confirmation of the operation.
It also warned that continued US military action would draw “heavier” responses from Iran’s armed forces.
In a separate statement early Sunday, the IRGC said its navy attacked a remotely operated US military vessel that it claimed was attempting to enter a protected area of the Strait of Hormuz.
The IRGC did not provide details about the type of attack or whether the vessel was damaged.
The Guards also reiterated Tehran’s position that the Strait of Hormuz is under Iranian management and said the US should leave the region.
Read: US hits three Iranian oil tankers
Earlier on Saturday, the IRGC Navy said it targeted three oil tankers in the Strait of Hormuz and three US-linked vessels elsewhere in response to American attacks on Iranian tankers.
CENTCOM said Iran launched ballistic missiles toward two US Navy warships patrolling regional waters, and that both vessels evaded the attacks, with no American personnel harmed.
It said US forces subsequently struck three Iranian crude oil tankers.
US Centcom says it sank oil tanker in Gulf of Oman
US Central Command (Centcom) said it had sunk an oil tanker in the Gulf of Oman, according to a post on X.
“Thanks to the precision and professionalism of American service members, the M/T Kylo sank in the Gulf of Oman today and joined Iran’s navy at the bottom of the sea,” CENTCOM said.
Thanks to the precision and professionalism of American service members, the M/T Kylo sank in the Gulf of Oman today and joined Iran’s navy at the bottom of the sea. pic.twitter.com/OwSDMl8SSQ
— U.S. Central Command (@CENTCOM) September 6, 2026
Trump’s threats over Kharg Island
While US President Donald Trump’s administration seeks to pivot toward an economic clampdown on Iran by widening sanctions, the president himself has kept open the possibility of military action.
On August 31, Trump issued a one-line social media post accompanied by an AI-generated video depicting Kharg Island being “blown to smithereens.” Iranian authorities have vowed a strong response if Kharg is attacked.
Iran is the third-largest producer in the Organisation of the Petroleum Exporting Countries and exported 90% of its crude via Kharg Island before the war. Flows have been disrupted since a US blockade of Iranian oil exports began in mid-April.
Trump has spoken of an attack on Kharg before. He said on June 11 that he wanted to take over the island, but then said a US military operation there was off the table, days before Tehran and Washington signed an interim agreement aimed at ending the war on June 17.
Read more: Who can mediate the US-Iran war?
A US attack on Kharg would further pressure Iran’s oil industry and its wider economy, which is already reeling from the US naval blockade.
The US imposed its blockade on Iranian ports after Iran effectively shut the Strait of Hormuz, an important waterway that carried one-fifth of the world’s oil supply before the war.
Brent crude futures closed at their highest level since July 24 on Friday, at $96.28 a barrel, as tensions in the Middle East drive global supply concerns.
