An Iranian tanker was hit by four U.S. missiles near Kharg Island, Iran's primary oil export facility, according to the semi-official Tasnim news agency. Neither Iranian authorities nor U.S. Central Command have officially confirmed details of the reported incident.
An Iranian oil tanker was struck by four U.S. missiles in the anchorage area near Kharg Island on Saturday, according to reporting by Iran's semi-official Tasnim news agency citing local sources. The agency reported that no casualties resulted from the strike and that the vessel's crew was being evacuated. Neither Iranian official authorities nor U.S. Central Command have issued immediate confirmations regarding the reported attack or its circumstances.
Kharg Island holds significant strategic importance to Iran's economy as the country's primary crude oil export facility. Before the current conflict, the island handled approximately 90 percent of Iran's crude exports. Iran ranks as the third-largest oil producer within OPEC, though export flows have faced disruption following a U.S. naval blockade of Iranian oil shipments that began in mid-April.
The reported incident follows public statements from U.S. President Donald Trump. On August 31, Trump posted on social media accompanied by an AI-generated video that Kharg Island was being "blown to smithereens." In earlier remarks during June, Trump had stated a desire to take control of Kharg Island, though he subsequently indicated that a threatened U.S. military operation there was temporarily off the table, preceding a June 17 interim agreement between Tehran and Washington aimed at ending the conflict. Iranian authorities have previously stated they would mount a strong response should Kharg Island face attack.