Iran Attacked a US-Protected Convoy – 41 Minutes Later, Their Largest Naval Base Was Gone.lh

At 11:36, four Iranian boats launched a coordinated missile attack using C-802 anti-ship missiles.

Two missiles targeted the second tanker, while two targeted the Bulkley herself.

The destroyer’s Aegis system detected the launches instantly, prioritizing threats to the ship.

Two SM-2 missiles were launched against the inbound C-802s, but the tanker-bound missiles were not engaged due to the limited reaction time.

At 11:37, one C-802 struck the MT Arabian Spirit, a Maltese-flagged tanker carrying 1.2 million barrels of Kuwaiti crude.

The missile penetrated the engine compartment, igniting a fire on board.

The second missile aimed at the tanker malfunctioned, corkscrewing into the sea 200 meters short of its target.

At 11:37:14, the SM-2 interceptors found their targets, successfully destroying both C-802s aimed at the Bulkley.