BAKU, Azerbaijan, September 5. US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth has said the United States has the military capability to target Iran’s entire fleet of oil tankers, escalating Washington’s rhetoric after the US military claimed to have struck three Iranian oil carriers.
Hegseth made the remarks in a post on X, warning that Washington would target Iranian oil tankers if Iran attacks US naval vessels.
“It’s simple: if Iran shoots at US ships, we will destroy (and sink) their oil tankers. All they have to do is not shoot at the US Navy,” Hegseth wrote.
He also claimed that Iran’s oil tanker fleet was “defenseless” and argued that Iran no longer had an effective navy or air force capable of protecting the vessels.
“Iran’s oil tanker fleet is defenseless – Iran has no navy or air force. Our planes, ships & subs can strike them all,” Hegseth said.
His comments came after US Central Command said American forces had targeted three Iranian crude oil carriers following what Washington described as attacks by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps on two US warships.
The statements mark a further escalation in US-Iran tensions and raise concerns over the potential impact of military action on Iranian oil exports and maritime security in the region.
