Hegseth Threatens Iran: US Will Sink Its Oil Tankers If They Fire on Navy Vessels

Washington and Tehran have slipped into a dangerous back‑and‑forth that feels almost cinematic. Late Saturday night, U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth took to X – the platform formerly known as Twitter – and issued a blunt warning that left few doubts about America’s next move.

“It’s simple: if Iran shoots at U.S. ships, we will destroy (and sink) their oil tankers,” Hegseth wrote, his words punctuated by a terse follow‑up: “All they have to do is not shoot at @USNavy.” The statement was short, almost terse, but the implication was anything but.

The warning came on the heels of a U.S. strike that hit three Iranian crude‑carrying vessels earlier in the week. According to CENTCOM, the attacks permanently disabled the M/T Downy off Kharg Island, the M/T Stark 1 near Jask, and completely destroyed the unladen M/T Kylo (also known as Noxen) in the Gulf of Oman after its crew was told to abandon ship.

Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) Aerospace Force didn’t stay silent. In a heated broadcast on state TV, the IRGC claimed it had launched several ballistic missiles at a U.S. aircraft carrier and a guided‑missile destroyer, accusing the American warships of harassing Iranian vessels and imposing a naval blockade.

Those claims, however, remain unverified. The U.S. Central Command says the carrier and destroyer evaded the “unprovoked Iranian attacks” without any casualties, and the ships continued their patrols unharmed.

Meanwhile, the IRGC Navy announced that it had targeted three oil tankers traveling what it called an “unauthorised route” through the Strait of Hormuz, as well as three vessels it said were linked to the United States in other waters. The navy warned any ship using the so‑called unauthorised waterways that “suspicious movements could result in being targeted.”

It’s a tit‑for‑tat that could easily spiral. The IRGC’s Aerospace Force wrapped up its statement with a stark reminder: “If the hostile and aggressive actions continue, the U.S. regime must expect fierce responses from the armed forces of the Islamic Republic of Iran.”

At this point, the Strait of Hormuz – a chokepoint that sees roughly a fifth of the world’s oil passing daily – sits at the very centre of a geopolitical tinderbox. Both sides have laid claim to defensive justifications, but the rhetoric is edging ever closer to open confrontation.

So what does this mean for the world’s oil markets? Analysts are already warning of price spikes and supply disruptions if the waterway ever becomes a battlefield. For now, ships are being urged to stick to approved lanes, and navies on both sides are keeping a watchful eye on each other’s moves.

All eyes remain on the next round of statements – and on whether the threats become reality. One thing is clear: the dance between the United States and Iran has become far more perilous, and the stakes couldn’t be higher.