US Destroys Five Iranian Oil Tankers in Gulf of Oman
The United States military destroyed five Iranian crude oil tankers on September 8, in response to attempts by Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) to target a U.S. Navy warship with ballistic missiles. The strike was carried out by the U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM), which stated that its forces instructed the crews to abandon the vessels before striking them.
The five tankers, including the Kaviz, Charminar, Horizon 1, Riesco, and Derya, were located in the Gulf of Oman and near Iran’s Kharg Island. The U.S. military has released footage showing the destruction of the vessels.
Three Tankers Linked to Russia’s Shadow Fleet
Three of the tankers destroyed by the U.S. military have direct links to Russia’s shadow fleet, a network of vessels used to move sanctioned Russian oil around the world. According to Ukraine’s sanctions commissioner Vladyslav Vlasiuk, the Kaviz, Charminar, and Riesco have been involved in transporting Russian oil.
The Kaviz had previously called at Russian ports such as Ust-Luga and Novorossiysk, and transported Russian oil. The vessel had also repeatedly switched off its Automatic Identification System (AIS), which ships use to broadcast information including their location and identity. According to Ukraine’s military intelligence agency (HUR), the Kaviz was previously affiliated with Fractal Marine DMCC, a company sanctioned by the U.K. for servicing Russia’s energy sector.
The Charminar had also called at Russian ports such as Ust-Luga, Primorsk, Vysotsk, and St. Petersburg. HUR lists the Charminar as having been involved in exports of Russian crude and petroleum products, and links it to Fractal Marine DMCC. The vessel has also been linked to a shipping network associated with Iranian oil trader Mohammad Hossein Shamkhani, who trades in both Russian and Iranian oil.
The Riesco has likewise transported Russian and Iranian crude and petroleum products, including through ship-to-ship transfers with sanctioned vessels. According to HUR, the tanker has been under U.S. sanctions since November 2025 and Ukrainian sanctions since February 2026.
Russia’s Shadow Fleet: A Network of Sanctioned Oil Vessels
Russia’s shadow fleet is a network of vessels used to move sanctioned Russian oil around the world, at the same time obscuring ownership to avoid Western restrictions. HUR’s register had identified more than 1,400 such vessels as of May 2026, many of them aging ships sailing under third-country flags.
The fleet has become a crucial source of revenue for Moscow, with estimates suggesting it carries about 75% of Russia’s sanctioned oil and helps generate income used to fund the Kremlin’s war against Ukraine.
Original Article: US destroys 5 Iranian oil tankers, 3 linked to Russia’s shadow fleet, Ukrainian official says — Kyivindependent