The Iranian Revolutionary Guard said on Sunday that it targeted “an American naval drone that was trying to enter the Strait of Hormuz,” hours after Tehran and Washington exchanged attacks.
The official Iranian Radio and Television Corporation quoted the Revolutionary Guard as saying that its naval forces targeted “an unmanned American military ship that was trying to enter the protected area of the Strait of Hormuz.”
Meanwhile, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi held two separate phone calls with his Saudi and Turkish counterparts, during which he discussed regional developments and diplomatic efforts aimed at reducing tensions in the region, according to Reuters.
On Saturday, American and Iranian forces carried out mutual attacks targeting ships in the waters surrounding Iran.
The United States announced that it bombed three oil tankers linked to the Iranian Revolutionary Guard, accusing Iranian forces of trying to target two American warships, while Tehran announced that it responded by targeting ships linked to the United States.
The US Central Command (Centcom) said in a statement on X: “The Iranian Revolutionary Guard fired ballistic missiles towards two US Navy warships that were patrolling territorial waters.”
The statement stated, “Following the failed Iranian attacks, 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.”
The statement continued, "The American forces also completely destroyed the empty oil tanker Kilo in the Gulf of Oman, after targeting the ship in several vital locations, which led to its disabling after orders were issued to the crew to evacuate the ship."
Centcom published a video clip showing tongues of fire and flame balls rising from ships after they were hit by projectiles.
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."
The statement confirmed that no American soldier was injured after "an American aircraft carrier and a destroyer equipped with guided missiles succeeded in averting multiple unprovoked Iranian attacks."
Commander of US Central Command, Admiral Brad Cooper, said: “Let the message to the Revolutionary Guard be clear: If you fire on two of our ships, we will impose a greater economic cost on you, by removing three of your ships from service.”
The Revolutionary Guard responded by threatening to intensify attacks on US military ships in the region, and later said it had targeted three tankers, in addition to three ships linked to the United States in other regions.
The Revolutionary Guard Navy said, in a statement broadcast on Iranian state television: “Do not be fooled by the ‘terrorist’ American army, and refrain from any suspicious movement aimed at passing through unauthorized waterways,” adding: “Otherwise, you will be targeted.”
The Iranian Tasnim Agency reported that four American missiles hit a tanker in the Kharg Island marina area.
The agency quoted local sources as saying that there were no casualties, and that the tanker's crew members were being treated.
For its part, US Central Command said that no members of the US forces were harmed.
The exchange of attacks comes in the wake of an escalation witnessed in recent days, which threatens to exacerbate the ongoing conflict since the United States and Israel began launching strikes on Iran at the end of February.
The conflict has disrupted global energy supplies and faced opposition from a majority of Americans ahead of the midterm congressional elections scheduled for November.
Kharg Island is the target of Trump's threats
At a time when the administration of US President Donald Trump is seeking to intensify economic pressure on Iran by expanding the scope of sanctions, Trump has kept the possibility of resorting to military action alive.
On August 31, 2026, Trump published a brief, one-line post on social media, which he accompanied by an artificial intelligence-generated video showing Kharg Island being leveled.
The Iranian authorities pledged a strong response if the island was attacked.
Iran is the third largest oil producer in the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC), and it exported about 90 percent of its crude oil through Kharg Island before the outbreak of the war.
But oil flows have been disrupted since the start of the US blockade on Iranian oil exports in mid-April 2026.
