The United States and Iran are exchanging blows in the Gulf as tensions rise and warnings of the conflict expanding

The US Army said in a statement today, Saturday (September 5, 2026), “Following the failed Iranian attacks, the US Central Command (Centcom) permanently disabled two oil tankers belonging to the Iranian Revolutionary Guard, namely the tanker +Downy off the coast of Khark Island, and the tanker +Stark 1+ near Jask. Also, American forces destroyed the completely empty oil tanker “Kilo” in the Gulf of Oman, after targeting the ship in several vital locations, Which led to its disruption after orders were issued to the crew to evacuate the ship.”

Central Command stated in the statement that the three targeted ships were "part of a multi-billion-dollar shadow network that funds the Iranian Revolutionary Guard and its agents in the region," stressing that "Iran has no means to defend them."

For its part, Iranian television said today that four American missiles hit an oil tanker about 10 kilometers from Khark Island. She added that the crew members were being evacuated from the ship and no injuries were recorded.

The semi-official Iranian Tasnim news agency reported that an Iranian tanker was bombed by American forces on Saturday near Khark Island in the Gulf, which represents a major center for exporting Iranian oil.

According to Tasnim Agency's correspondent in Kharj, the tanker was hit by four American missiles in the Al-Jazeera Marsa area.

The agency quoted local sources as saying that there were no casualties, and the tanker's crew was being evacuated.

Tehran threatens a “stronger” response if Washington continues targeting Iranian ships

The Iranian Armed Forces threatened the United States with a stronger response if it continued to target the Islamic Republic's ships and besiege its ports, after the US Army announced that it had struck three oil tankers that it said belonged to the Revolutionary Guard.

A spokesman for Khatam al-Anbia Headquarters, the central operations room of the Iranian Armed Forces, said, “The American terrorist army has been warned that if the evil actions, insecurity, harassment of Iranian ships, and naval blockade of Iran continue, the strikes of the Islamic Republic of Iran Armed Forces against American military ships in the region will become stronger than before, and are likely to expand.”

US President Donald Trump said that war with Iran is a simple matter for the United States, the day after his Vice President, Jay DeVance, said that this conflict is not a “war” from Washington’s perspective. In response to a question about Vance's position, Trump told reporters at the White House, "A lot of people don't call it a war. I call it a military conflict because it's a simple matter for us."

He stressed that despite the recent wave of escalation in the Middle East, “it is not a big issue. We did (what we did) in Venezuela, and we did this” confrontation with the Islamic Republic.

As the midterm legislative elections in the United States, expected in November, approach, the US administration is seeking to limit the economic repercussions of the war, which has entered its seventh month, in light of Tehran’s disruption of maritime navigation in the strategic Strait of Hormuz. Trump said that the United States is launching "intermittent strikes... but we are not fighting right now."

He reiterated that the United States actually took control of the Strait of Hormuz and broke the back of the Iranian forces. “What we did was amazing,” Trump said. “We took control of Venezuela and we took control of Iran in general.”

In response to a comment about considering the war on Iran a “simple matter” when 19 American soldiers were killed in it, Trump indignantly made a comparison between the Iran war and the United States’ war, for example, in Vietnam or Afghanistan, which extended over several years. He said, "Call it what you want, this is not important. What is important is that we achieved great success. We prevented Iran from possessing nuclear weapons."

US Vice President J.D. Vance refused to use the word "war" to describe the conflict with Iran, refraining from predicting whether the six-month-long conflict will end by the midterm elections in November, in which Republicans are trying to maintain their narrow majority in Congress.

“I wouldn't call it a war,” Vance said during a news conference at the White House after being asked if the fighting could be ended before voters cast their ballots in the Nov. 3 congressional elections. “Right now, there is no active shooter.” Vance's assertion came even as Iran on Thursday fired on Kuwait, a US ally in the Gulf, as it continued to respond to rounds of US strikes on Iran earlier in the week.

The vice president said the United States bears a "responsibility" for carrying out strikes this week because Iran continues to target commercial ships passing through the Strait of Hormuz.

Vance's attempt to downplay the intensity of the fight underscores the difficult task facing Trump and his administration as he tries to convince American voters to maintain Republican control of Congress, even as the unpopular conflict - which the White House initially said would last a few weeks - drives up gasoline prices and leaves consumers struggling with high inflation.

Navigation security in the Strait of Hormuz

On the other hand, the South Korean presidency announced today, Friday (September 4, 2026), that Seoul is considering making a “contribution” to secure navigation in the strategic Strait of Hormuz, which has witnessed increasing tension since the outbreak of the war between the United States and Iran.

A presidential spokesman in the presidential office told the media that any “contributions related to the Strait of Hormuz can be managed within limits that do not affect South Korea’s military readiness in the face of the threats to which it is exposed,” noting that this issue is still under study.

South Korean TV channel JTBC confirmed on Thursday that the government was ready to deploy military resources in the Strait of Hormuz, but the Ministries of Defense and Foreign Affairs later indicated that no decision had been taken in this regard.

Agence France-Presse quoted Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as saying today, Tuesday (September 3, 2026), that the overthrow of the Islamic Republic in Iran is “within reach.”

According to the agency, Netanyahu expressed during an event with military leaders, "I am convinced that we can remove this threat once and for all, that is, overthrow this (Iranian) regime. This is the central task that still awaits us, but it is close. It is not impossible. It is within reach."

He added, “The regime is currently reeling. It is weaker than ever, and is fighting to survive.”

Netanyahu said, "If they are not attacking us, it is not a coincidence. They are attacking everyone except us... They know our strength, the strength of our weapons, and our determination."

Netanyahu's office did not confirm what the agency reported, which also did not mention the source of its information.

Netanyahu's statements come as he is preparing to run in legislative elections that are expected to witness intense competition in late October, in light of the renewed exchange of strikes between the United States and Iran this week.

During his political career, Netanyahu has always viewed Iran as an existential threat to the Jewish state. He launched a war against it in June 2025, before launching another war with US President Donald Trump on February 28, 2026, which formed the spark of the final war.

Katz: “We will return Iran to the Stone Age”

Earlier today, Israeli Defense Minister Yisrael Katz threatened Iran with a strong response if it launched an attack on Israel. Katz's office quoted the minister as saying: "We will strike all military and civilian infrastructure in Iran, including energy infrastructure, and we will return Iran to the Stone Age and the Dark Age."

He added, during a meeting with Defense Ministry employees, that "Iran's attack on Israel would liberate us from any existing restrictions."

The Israeli Defense Minister said: “We see indications that the huge economic pressures facing Iran, as well as fears of an uprising and the collapse of the regime, could push the country to take reckless measures.

Katz said yesterday, Wednesday, that Israel is preparing for the possibility that Iran will launch an attack during the upcoming Jewish holidays.

Israeli Defense Minister Yisrael Katz said on Thursday that Israel will bomb civilian infrastructure and the energy sector infrastructure in Iran if Tehran attacks Israel, in the latest Israeli threat to the Islamic Republic amid a sudden escalation in hostilities recently between the United States and Iran.

There were fears of a new escalation in the Middle East region this week after the United States and Iran exchanged the largest wave of attacks since July, as Washington bombed the southern coast of Iran and Tehran responded by attacking American bases throughout the region.

Israel, which launched a joint air war with Iran against Iran in February, did not participate in the latest rounds of fighting. Katz told Defense Ministry employees on Thursday, “Any attack launched by Tehran on Israel will free Israel from any current restrictions on attacking Iran.”

He added, "We will disable Iran's entire national military and civilian infrastructure, including its energy infrastructure, and we will return Iran to the depths of the Stone Age and into darkness."

Warning Israel against targeting Ali Al-Taher Hill

Reuters quoted informed officials that Iran warned the United States that it would respond forcefully to any Israeli attack on Ali al-Tahir Hill in southern Lebanon, where Iranian soldiers are holed up alongside Hezbollah fighters.

Lebanese security sources say that it is believed that the Hezbollah group has established an underground command center and weapons stores inside Ali al-Taher Hill, which overlooks southeastern Lebanon, and has become one of the most prominent battlegrounds in the war between Israel and the group.

The group said in public statements that it controls the hill and will confront any Israeli advance. Leaders of the group indicated that there was a facility there, but they refused to provide details.

This morning, Thursday (September 3, 2026), Iran launched attacks on Kuwait, declaring that they were targeting American interests, despite President Donald Trump’s threat to carry out new strikes against them after a round of exchanged strikes that threaten to ignite the Gulf again, more than six months after the outbreak of the war.

After a new night that witnessed American bombing on various sites in Iran, killing at least 19 people, followed by a large-scale Iranian response, Trump warned yesterday, Wednesday, that the United States is ready to “launch another attack any time we want,” while Tehran vowed a “broader and more destructive” response if the American attacks continue.

The Kuwaiti army announced at dawn on Thursday on X: “The Kuwaiti air defenses are currently responding to missile attacks and enemy drones, as a result of the sinful Iranian aggression.”

On the other hand, Iranian state television confirmed that Tehran was targeting American bases in Kuwait with missiles and drones "in response to America's crimes against the Iranian people."

This escalation has affected shipping traffic in the Strait of Hormuz, as preliminary shipping data on Thursday showed that six ships transporting goods crossed the strait yesterday, down from 11 ships the previous day, and much less than the ten-day average of about 13 ships.

US President Donald Trump said on Wednesday (September 2, 2026) that the United States is ready to attack Iran again, after a large-scale bombing of sites across the country killed at least 19 Iranians. "Last night we destroyed much more than their radar," Trump told reporters in the Oval Office. "It was a very severe attack, and we are ready to launch another attack any time we want."

Trump said that the new American campaign against Iran will not last for a long time, after the largest exchange of fire between the two countries since July. Trump added to reporters at the White House that Iran was trying to build a missile that would drop mines, but the United States destroyed it.

He stated that Iran is working to restore its radar and missile systems, which were also targeted in American strikes. The American President said, "We destroyed all the new equipment that they tried to build near the Strait of Hormuz, some defensive and some offensive... It was a very heavy attack last night, and we are ready to launch another attack whenever we want."

The US Central Command for the Middle East (Centcom) said, “Today, American forces began striking targets belonging to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps in Iran,” in response to “the recent attacks launched by the Revolutionary Guard on commercial ships in the Strait of Hormuz, and on American military personnel deployed in the region.”

The American strikes came after two oil tankers were hit by "projectiles of unknown origin" as they were leaving the Strait of Hormuz.

Iran launches a “decisive operation” against US bases and interests

Iranian official television reported that several explosions occurred in the south of the country, near Bandar Abbas and Qeshm Island near the Strait of Hormuz, and an American air strike also targeted Jirvat Airport in Kerman Province in the south of the country. Official media reported that four projectiles hit cities east of the strait.

Semi-official media in Iran reported that Tehran was launching drones and missiles in response to the US strikes.

Tasnim News Agency said, "A decisive operation has begun by the Iranian armed forces in response to the American enemy. Iranian missiles and drones are targeting American bases and interests in the region."

Jordanian official television reported that sirens were activated in the Mafraq and Aqaba governorates, as Iran launched attacks on American interests and bases in the region.

The Jordanian army announced in a statement that its air defense systems dealt with 13 ballistic missiles that entered the Kingdom’s airspace and were able to intercept and destroy 10 of them, while three fell in remote areas far from population centers.

Mutual threats and dashed hopes for an imminent ceasefire

In a post on his social platform, Truth Social, US President Donald Trump confirmed that the operation against Iran is “widespread and powerful.” He warned, "If the failed state of Iran responds to this completely justified attack, it will be subjected to another, much more severe and stronger blow." The Republican president stressed that if he goes through with his threat, "there will be very little left of the Islamic Republic of Iran."

He said in an interview with Fox News that he had given Iran many opportunities, and downplayed the value of any potential agreement with Tehran. He added, "I think that the agreement with them is not worth the paper it is written on. We have given them many opportunities."

For its part, the Revolutionary Guard was quick to announce that Iran would make the United States “regret” its new attacks. Revolutionary Guard spokesman Hussein Mohebi wrote on the X platform, “Severe punishment awaits the aggressors. The United States will regret its new attacks.”

US Army Secretary Dan Driscoll submitted his resignation after months of tension with Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, the White House confirmed to AFP on Monday. The information was first revealed by the Wall Street Journal, then it was reported by other American media.

When the White House was asked about this information, it did not deny it and stated in a statement, “Secretary Driscoll has demonstrated high competence in promoting President Donald Trump’s program (...) and demonstrated distinguished leadership during historic military operations.” He added, "The US Army is stronger than ever thanks to its work side by side with the Commander-in-Chief and the Minister of Defense."

If accepted, Driscoll's resignation would mark the latest departure of a high-ranking military commander under the Donald Trump administration.

Driscoll, a former law school classmate of Vice President Jay D. Vance, benefited from their friendship within the administration, but he clashed with Hegseth. Jack Reed, the top Democrat on the Senate Armed Services Committee, held the Secretary of Defense responsible for this departure, saying, “I do not welcome Secretary Driscoll’s resignation... President Trump should have realized long ago the continuing damage that Pete Hegseth is causing to the Department of Defense.”

J. said. US Vice President De Vance said on Monday (August 31, 2026) that President Donald Trump was sending a message to Iran through his post on social media regarding the destruction of Kharg Island.

Vance answered a question about Trump's post by saying, "The president likes to change his style a little on social media. He is at the forefront of those who do not prefer to announce military operations through these means, but I think he is sending a message to the Iranians."

Trump's post, which was limited to one line, yesterday, Sunday, was accompanied by a video clip generated by artificial intelligence. A US official said on Monday that the army did not target Kharg Island in last night's raids. An Iranian official described Trump's post as "ridiculous."

Kharg Island produced 90 percent of Iran's oil exports before the war launched by the United States and Israel on February 28, and attacking it may disrupt Iran's energy trade on a large scale and put the economy of the Islamic Republic under great pressure. In response to the first announced American military strikes since the end of July, an American official said that the forces attacked two Iranian missile launchers on Lark Island.