CENTCOM SAYS 13 VESSELS DESTROYED

PHOTO CAPTION: The guided-missile destroyer USS Rafael Peralta operates near an Iranian-flagged commercial vessel while enforcing the U.S. maritime blockade against Iran, April 26, 2026. CENTCOM said Oct. 5 that U.S. forces have destroyed 13 commercial vessels, disabled three and redirected 130 since the blockade resumed July 14. U.S. Navy photo via CENTCOM.

U.S. Central Command says American forces have now destroyed 13 commercial vessels while enforcing the U.S. naval blockade against Iran.
CENTCOM disclosed the cumulative figure Monday after U.S. forces redirected the 130th commercial vessel since the blockade resumed July 14.
In addition to those 130 redirected vessels, CENTCOM says American forces have disabled three ships that refused to comply with blockade instructions. DVIDS
The 13 destroyed vessels were not all struck at once.
CENTCOM said the destruction occurred over the previous 12 weeks and involved commercial vessels that were either violating the U.S. blockade or operating as part of what the military describes as the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps’ multibillion-dollar shadow network. DVIDS
The wording matters.
CENTCOM said the vessels were “destroyed.” It did not say all 13 sank.
Separate incidents during the current blockade show that U.S. forces have used different methods against ships depending on the circumstances.
On July 15, for example, CENTCOM said a U.S. aircraft fired Hellfire missiles into the smokestack of the Curacao-flagged tanker M/T Belma after the ship ignored repeated warnings while heading toward Iran’s Kharg Island. The military said the strike disabled the vessel and prevented it from continuing toward Iran. CENTCOM
The campaign escalated further in September.
On Sept. 5, CENTCOM said U.S. forces struck three Iranian crude oil carriers after the IRGC launched ballistic missiles toward two U.S. Navy warships.
Two tankers were permanently disabled, while the M/T Kylo was completely destroyed after its crew was directed to abandon ship. DVIDS
Three days later, CENTCOM said U.S. forces destroyed another five Iranian crude oil carriers following additional attempted missile attacks on a U.S. warship.
The military said those ships were part of the IRGC oil network and that their crews were directed to abandon the vessels before they were struck. DVIDS
The latest disclosure shows how large the blockade operation has become since it was resumed in July.
CENTCOM says U.S. forces have now redirected 130 commercial vessels, disabled three noncompliant ships and destroyed 13 commercial vessels during the current enforcement period. DVIDS
CBS independently reported the figures Monday evening and again Tuesday morning, noting that commercial vessels have increasingly found themselves caught between competing U.S. and Iranian maritime restrictions in the region. CBS News
CENTCOM commander Adm. Brad Cooper said U.S. forces will continue acting against vessels that attempt to run the blockade.
The military has also advised mariners operating near the Gulf of Oman and Strait of Hormuz approaches to monitor navigation warnings and maintain contact with U.S. naval forces. DVIDS
For now, the newest milestone is the 130th redirected vessel.
But the more striking number is the one CENTCOM disclosed alongside it:
13 commercial vessels destroyed in 12 weeks.