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Kylo Sinks in Gulf
U.S. Central Command said the Iranian tanker M/T Kylo sank in the Gulf of Oman after U.S. forces struck it during retaliatory attacks on three IRGC-linked oil carriers.
“Thanks to the precision and professionalism of American service members, the M/T Kylo sank in the Gulf of Oman today”
CENTCOM said the M/T Kylo was struck repeatedly after its crew was instructed to abandon ship, and that the vessel had "joined Iran's navy at the bottom of the sea."
The sinking followed U.S. strikes on Saturday in which CENTCOM said American forces "permanently disabled" the M/T Downy off Kharg Island and the M/T Stark 1 near Jask.
CENTCOM said the action followed attempted Iranian attacks against an American aircraft carrier and a destroyer, and it said both warships evaded the attacks and no U.S. personnel were hurt.
Iran’s Foreign Ministry condemned the strikes as illegal and aggressive, while Iranian military officials warned of a stronger response if U.S. attacks continued.
Retaliation and Competing Claims
Iran said Sunday that it attacked an American unmanned surface vessel attempting to enter the Strait of Hormuz, according to an IRGC statement carried by Iranian state television.
The IRGC said in a statement shared by state TV that it had launched an attack on an "unmanned surface vessel" off the south coast of Iran as it was about to enter the strategic waterway.
The U.S. military framed its Saturday action as retaliation, with Adm. Brad Cooper warning, "If you shoot at two of our ships, we will impose an even higher economic cost —taking out three of yours."
The BBC reported that Iran’s state media confirmed the U.S. strikes and said Tehran attacked three US-affiliated vessels in response, as well as three oil tankers traveling through the Strait of Hormuz along an "unauthorised" route.
The BBC also reported that the BBC had approached US Central Command for comment about Iran’s claims to have targeted US ships.
Stalemate and What’s at Risk
The New York Times described the Strait of Hormuz as stuck in a lethal stalemate, quoting Eugene Gholz saying, "The strait is neither fully closed nor fully opened."
“The strait is neither fully closed nor fully opened”
The New York Times said Iran struck 12 ships in August, up slightly from 11 in July, according to a New York Times analysis of public attack records.
It also said the U.S. tanker protection effort has helped get millions of barrels of oil out of the Persian Gulf each day, but attacks from Iran continued to deter many tankers from operating in the strait.
Kurdistan24 said before the war, roughly one-fifth of global oil supplies moved through Hormuz, making sustained disruption there a significant risk to international energy markets.
Euronews quoted the IRGC warning ships against attempts to navigate through unapproved routes, while CENTCOM said its strikes were meant to impose an even higher economic cost and defend American forces.