The U.S. military is (again) disregarding the rules of war.
U.S. Central Command @CENTCOM – 13:38 UTC · Sep 5, 2026
CENTCOM Destroys 3 IRGC Oil Tankers After Iran Targets 2 U.S. Navy Warships
TAMPA, Fla. — U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) forces struck three Iranian crude oil carriers, Sept. 5, after the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) launched ballistic missiles toward two U.S. Navy warships patrolling regional waters.
A U.S. aircraft carrier and guided-missile destroyer successfully evaded multiple unprovoked Iranian attacks. No American personnel were harmed.
Following Iran’s failed attacks, CENTCOM permanently disabled the IRGC crude oil carriers M/T Downy off the coast of Kharg Island and M/T Stark 1 near Jask. American forces also completely destroyed the unladen crude oil carrier M/T Kylo (also known as the “Noxen”) in the Gulf of Oman, striking the vessel in multiple critical locations to render it inoperable after the crew was directed to abandon ship.
The three Iranian crude oil tankers are part of a multibillion-dollar shadow network that funds the IRGC and its regional proxies. Iran has no means by which to defend them. …
Iran had been attacked by the U.S. and responded in kind. The parties are at war. The U.S. is currently blockading the Iranian coast. In response the Iranian military has targeted two U.S. warships who are part of the blockade force. This was, under the rules of war, a legitimate attack against legitimate targets.
U.S. strikes against military targets in Iran would have been a legitimate response.
The three tankers the U.S. has hit instead are not military targets.
There is no such thing as an “IRGC oil tanker”. The Iranian Revolutionary Guards Corps isn’t a shipping company.
The ownership of the M/T Downy, IMO 9218480, is not public. It is under Iranian flag. Kharg island, near to where the ship was hit, is in the upper east of the Persian Gulf – far away from the U.S. maintained blockade line.
The M/T Stark 1, IMO 9171450, is also under Iranian flag and owned by the National Iranian Tanker Company which:
.. is a subsidiary of the National Iranian Oil Company, which was privatized in 2009. As of 2011, NITC was owned by funds managing pensions for 5 million Iranians. It is the biggest tanker company in the Middle East.
The M/T Stark 1 was near Jask in the Sea of Oman.
The M/T Kylo, previously M/T Noxen, IMO 9189146, is under the flag of Cameroon. The ownership is not public. The ship was at anchor in the Gulf of Oman.
All three ships are civil carriers. They were unarmed. None of them was attempting to break the U.S. blockade or in any way involved in military activities. None of them was in any way a justifiable military target.
Why does this matter?
The U.S. military is breaching the rules of war. It is highly likely that Iran will respond in kind.
The CentCom strike on these ships give Iran a public justification to respond with hits at any and all civilian, privately owned, assets which are somewhat related to the U.S. of A. There are thousands of those within Iran’s neighborhood.
It is probably wise for now to avoid any visit to any McDonalds in an area near or in the Middle East.