CENTCOM released footage on Sunday, September 6, 2026, showing the M/T Kylo burning and sinking in the Gulf of Oman after a US strike. The incident followed US attacks on three Iranian tankers and intensified fears over regional shipping and oil trade.

United States Central Command has released video showing the M/T Kylo, an Iranian-linked oil tanker also known as the Noxen, burning and sinking in the Gulf of Oman following an American military strike.

CENTCOM said the Comoros-flagged vessel was empty when it was attacked and that its crew had been ordered to abandon ship. The US military said it struck the tanker in several critical locations to render it inoperable.

The command accompanied the footage with a taunting message directed at Tehran, saying the vessel had joined Iran’s navy at the bottom of the sea. Iran condemned the tanker attacks, describing Washington’s actions as illegal and a threat to maritime security.

The footage released by CENTCOM shows a tanker engulfed in flames, listing heavily and eventually sinking. The US military identified the vessel as the M/T Kylo and said it was part of an oil network supporting Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and regional groups.

CENTCOM’s official statement said American forces destroyed the Kylo on Saturday, September 5, after directing its crew to leave the vessel.

The number and condition of the crew were not independently detailed in the initial reports. CENTCOM did not report any American casualties during the related military operations.

The Kylo was one of three vessels attacked by US forces. CENTCOM said the M/T Downy was permanently disabled off Kharg Island, while the M/T Stark 1 was disabled near Jask on Iran’s eastern coastline.

The US described the strikes as retaliation after the IRGC allegedly launched ballistic missiles towards an American aircraft carrier and a guided-missile destroyer. CENTCOM said both warships evaded the attacks and no US personnel were injured. The American account of the sequence of events could not be independently verified from the released footage alone. 

Iran’s Foreign Ministry condemned the attacks on commercial vessels in the Persian Gulf and Gulf of Oman. Tehran described the strikes as illegal and irresponsible and accused Washington of military aggression, a naval blockade and economic warfare.

Iran also alleged that the attacks violated the United Nations Charter and constituted a war crime. These are Iran’s legal claims and had not been established by an international court or independent investigation at the time of publication.

The IRGC warned that further US military action would draw a strong response from Iran’s armed forces. Washington, meanwhile, maintained that it would continue defending American personnel and could impose additional costs on Iran if attacks continued.

The attacks represent a significant expansion of US military action against Iranian petroleum-linked assets. They also move the confrontation closer to commercial energy infrastructure and shipping routes used by vessels from numerous countries.

The Gulf of Oman connects the Arabian Sea to the Strait of Hormuz and the Persian Gulf, making it a strategically important route for global energy supplies. Continued attacks, blockades or threats could increase shipping insurance costs, disrupt tanker movements and place upward pressure on oil prices.

The most immediate concern is the possibility of retaliation and miscalculation. Further attacks on commercial or military vessels could widen the conflict and expose seafarers, ports and energy facilities to additional danger.

The sinking of the Kylo also creates potential environmental questions, although CENTCOM said the vessel was unladen. Authorities had not released a detailed assessment of possible fuel leakage or marine damage when the report was published.