{"id":71448,"date":"2026-09-05T12:38:12","date_gmt":"2026-09-05T16:38:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www2.stockmarketwatch.com\/stock-market-news\/us-defense-secretary-warns-of-total-destruction-for-irans-defenseless-oil-fleet\/71448\/"},"modified":"2026-09-05T12:38:12","modified_gmt":"2026-09-05T16:38:12","slug":"us-defense-secretary-warns-of-total-destruction-for-irans-defenseless-oil-fleet","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www2.stockmarketwatch.com\/stock-market-news\/us-defense-secretary-warns-of-total-destruction-for-irans-defenseless-oil-fleet\/71448\/","title":{"rendered":"US Defense Secretary Warns of Total Destruction for Iran&#8217;s &#8216;Defenseless&#8217; Oil Fleet"},"content":{"rendered":"<h2>Key Takeaways<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>US forces struck and disabled three Iranian oil tankers<\/strong> on Saturday in direct retaliation for ballistic missile attacks launched by the <strong>Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC)<\/strong> against American warships.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth<\/strong> issued a stark warning, stating that Iran\u2019s oil tanker fleet is <strong>&quot;defenseless&quot;<\/strong> and that the US possesses the air and naval superiority to <strong>&quot;destroy and sink&quot;<\/strong> every vessel in the fleet.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Brent Crude prices climbed above $96 a barrel<\/strong> as the escalation revived fears of a prolonged disruption in the <strong>Strait of Hormuz<\/strong>, where nearly 20% of global petroleum passes.<\/li>\n<li>The US military has officially adopted a <strong>&quot;tanker-for-tanker&quot; strategy<\/strong>, imposing immediate economic costs on Tehran for every unprovoked attack on American or commercial shipping.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>The <strong>United States<\/strong> significantly escalated its military posture against <strong>Iran<\/strong> on Saturday, with <strong>Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth<\/strong> declaring that the Islamic Republic&#39;s oil tanker fleet is completely exposed to American strikes. Hegseth&#39;s comments followed a series of precision strikes by <strong>U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM)<\/strong> that permanently disabled two Iranian crude carriers and completely destroyed a third in the <strong>Gulf of Oman<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p>According to <strong>CENTCOM<\/strong>, the strikes were a response to the <strong>IRGC<\/strong> firing ballistic missiles at a US aircraft carrier and a guided-missile destroyer. While the American warships successfully evaded the attacks with no reported injuries, the US response targeted what it described as a <strong>&quot;multibillion-dollar shadow network&quot;<\/strong> used to fund Iranian regional proxies. The disabled vessels were identified as the <strong>M\/T Downy<\/strong>, hit off the coast of <strong>Kharg Island<\/strong>, and the <strong>M\/T Stark 1<\/strong>, struck near <strong>Jask<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p>Defense Secretary Hegseth emphasized the disparity in military capabilities, noting that <strong>Iran<\/strong> lacks the naval or air force necessary to protect its commercial assets from US planes, ships, and submarines. &quot;It&#39;s simple: if Iran shoots at U.S. ships, we will destroy (and sink) their oil tankers,&quot; Hegseth stated in a post on <strong>X<\/strong>. He added that the US is capable of striking these targets across both the <strong>Middle East<\/strong> and the <strong>Indo-Pacific<\/strong> regions.<\/p>\n<p>The renewed hostilities have sent shockwaves through energy markets, with <strong>Brent Crude<\/strong> rising as the &quot;on-again, off-again&quot; war enters its sixth month. Analysts at major firms are closely monitoring the <strong>Strait of Hormuz<\/strong>, as the US continues to enforce a naval blockade that has already turned away over 50 commercial vessels since April. Despite the intensity of the strikes, the <strong>Trump Administration<\/strong> has characterized the current conflict as &quot;small potatoes&quot; compared to a traditional full-scale war.<\/p>\n<p>The <strong>&quot;tanker-for-tanker&quot;<\/strong> policy, reportedly approved by <strong>President Donald Trump<\/strong>, aims to deter further Iranian aggression by targeting the regime&#39;s primary source of revenue. <strong>Adm. Brad Cooper<\/strong>, commander of <strong>CENTCOM<\/strong>, reinforced this message, stating that the US will not hesitate to <strong>&quot;destroy Iran&#39;s limited and exposed oil fleet&quot;<\/strong> if American forces continue to be targeted. Iranian state media has acknowledged the strikes but warned of a &quot;strong response&quot; to any further attacks on its infrastructure.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Key Takeaways US forces struck and disabled three Iranian oil tankers on Saturday in direct retaliation for ballistic missile attacks 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