Brent Crude Tops $100 as U.S. Destroys Iranian Oil Tankers and Iran Retaliates Against U.S. Base in Jordan
U.S. Central Command announced it destroyed five Iranian crude oil tankers in the Gulf of Oman and near Iran's Kharg Island on Tuesday, September 9, 2026, bringing the total to ten tankers destroyed in the past week and eight struck since Saturday. Iran's Revolutionary Guard subsequently fired ballistic missiles at a U.S. air base in Jordan and reported striking other vessels, though CENTCOM said all Iranian counterattacks failed to hit their targets. Brent crude oil prices rose approximately 3% on Wednesday, surpassing $100 per barrel for the first time in six weeks.
U.S. Central Command said the tanker strikes were a direct response to Iran's failed attempt to hit a U.S. Navy warship with two ballistic missiles. In a statement, CENTCOM named five vessels — M/T Kaviz, M/T Charminar, M/T Horizon 1, M/T Riesco, and M/T Derya — and said crews were directed to abandon ship before each vessel was struck and rendered inoperable. CENTCOM described the tankers as part of an Iranian "shadow fleet" that funds the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.
Iran's Revolutionary Guard said Wednesday it had targeted and damaged U.S. warships and other vessels in the region. CENTCOM disputed that account, stating that "no U.S. Navy warship has been struck; all IRGC attempted attacks failed." The Pentagon has not publicly disclosed the extent of any damage to U.S. bases, according to NPR.
Brent crude's breach of $100 per barrel marked its highest price since late July. The Washington Examiner reported that prices have remained elevated well above the approximately $72 per barrel level recorded at the end of February, before the current conflict began. The Strait of Hormuz, a critical oil-shipping passage, has been a recurring flashpoint throughout the conflict, with hostilities there carrying the largest market impact, according to the Examiner.