‘Joined Navy at Bottom of Sea’: US Claims It Sank Iranian Oil Tanker in Gulf of Oman

The United States Central Command (CENTCOM) on Sunday said it had struck and sunk another vessel amid the escalating war with Iran, claiming that the MT Kylo went down in the Gulf of Oman.

“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 in a post on X.

According to MarineTraffic, MT Kylo is a Comoros-flagged crude oil tanker. Online vessel-tracking services also showed the tanker operating in the Gulf of Oman.

The announcement came a day after CENTCOM said US forces had struck three Iranian oil tankers following an attack by Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) on American Navy warships. MT Kylo was among the vessels targeted.

CENTCOM said US forces had “permanently disabled” the crude oil carriers M/T Downy off Kharg Island and M/T Stark 1 near Jask. The M/T Kylo, also known as the “Noxen”, was struck in the Gulf of Oman after its crew was ordered to abandon the vessel, according to the US military.

Following the strikes, CENTCOM warned Iran of further economic consequences.

“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,” US Admiral and CENTCOM Commander Brad Cooper said.

The latest strikes came as tensions between Washington and Tehran continued to escalate. Iran’s IRGC said on Saturday that it had fired several ballistic missiles at a US aircraft carrier and a destroyer.

The IRGC said the two US vessels were targeted because they had been “harassing Iranian ships” and participating in a naval blockade.

“The Aerospace Force of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps attacked with several ballistic missiles the aircraft carrier and a destroyer of the child-killing American army that were harassing Iranian ships and participating in the naval blockade,” the IRGC said in a statement carried by Iran’s state broadcaster IRIB.