Key facts
- U.S. forces destroyed five Iranian oil tankers on September 8.
- Three of the tankers destroyed were linked to Russia's shadow fleet.
- The U.S. military struck the vessels in response to Iran's IRGC attempting to target a U.S. Navy warship.
- The destroyed tankers were the Kaviz, Charminar, Horizon 1, Riesco, and Derya.
- The Kaviz, Charminar, and Riesco have direct links to Russia's shadow fleet and have transported Russian oil.
- Ukraine's military intelligence agency identified the Kaviz as being affiliated with Fractal Marine DMCC, a company sanctioned by the U.K.
U.S. military forces destroyed five Iranian crude oil tankers on September 8, three of which have direct links to Russia's shadow fleet, according to Ukraine's sanctions commissioner Vladyslav Vlasiuk. The strikes occurred in the Gulf of Oman and near Iran's Kharg Island.
U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) confirmed on September 9 that its forces struck the five vessels in retaliation for attempts by Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) to target a U.S. Navy warship with ballistic missiles. The vessels destroyed were the Kaviz, Charminar, Horizon 1, Riesco, and Derya. CENTCOM stated that crews were instructed to abandon the vessels before they were struck.
Vlasiuk identified the Kaviz, Charminar, and Riesco as having direct ties to Russia's shadow fleet and being involved in transporting Russian oil. The Kaviz, he noted, had called at Russian ports and repeatedly switched off its Automatic Identification System (AIS). Ukraine's military intelligence agency (HUR) stated that the Kaviz was previously affiliated with Fractal Marine DMCC, a company sanctioned by the U.K. for servicing Russia's energy sector and identified by HUR as a key operator of Russia's shadow fleet. The Charminar had also called at Russian ports and was linked by HUR to exports of Russian crude and petroleum products, as well as to a network associated with Iranian oil trader Mohammad Hossein Shamkhani. The Riesco has also transported Russian and Iranian crude and petroleum products, including through ship-to-ship transfers with sanctioned vessels, according to HUR. CENTCOM released footage of the Riesco sinking in the Gulf of Oman.
Russia's shadow fleet is a network of vessels used to transport sanctioned Russian oil while obscuring ownership to circumvent Western sanctions. As of May 2026, HUR's register identified over 1,400 such vessels, many of which are older ships flying third-country flags. This fleet is a significant revenue source for Moscow, estimated to carry about 75% of Russia's sanctioned oil and generate income to fund its war against Ukraine.